Ornaments: trill, mordent, turn, appoggiatura
Music theory · Expression: dynamics, articulation, signs · Level 4 · 14 min
Ornaments are decorative notes written in shorthand with a symbol. They come from the art of singing and Baroque improvisation, where performers embellished the melody. How they are played depends heavily on the period: a Bach trill is not played like a Chopin trill.
The signs…
M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=66
K:C
!trill!d2 c2 | !uppermordent!e2 !lowermordent!e2 | !turn!d2 c2 | {d}c2 {/d}c2 | !arpeggio![CEGc]4 |]
… and how they are played (Classical style)
M:4/4 L:1/16 Q:1/4=66 K:C dede dede c8 | e/f/e7 e/d/e7 | e2d2c2d2 c8 | d4c4 d/c15/2 |]
| Ornament | Sign | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| Trill | tr (and wavy line) | rapid alternation of the note and its upper neighbour. Baroque: start on the upper note, on the beat. From Hummel / the Romantic era: often from the main note. Often ends with a turn (lower note + return). |
| Upper mordent (pralltriller) | short wavy line | note – upper – note, very fast |
| Lower mordent | wavy line with a vertical stroke | note – lower – note |
| Turn (gruppetto) | sideways ∽ | upper – note – lower – note; placed between two notes, it is played after the first one |
| Appoggiatura | small note without a slash | "leans" on the beat and takes part of the main note's value (usually half, two-thirds before a dotted note); expressive, often dissonant |
| Acciaccatura (crushed note) | small note with a slash | played as fast as possible, "crushed" against the main note |
| Arpeggiated chord | vertical wavy line | chord rolled quickly from bottom to top |
Terminology: beware of false friends. In modern English, mordent often means the upper mordent, whereas historically Bach's German Mordent is the lower one. Trust the sign (with or without the stroke), not the name.
Practice method: first learn the passage without ornaments, to feel the melody and the pulse. Then add them slowly, writing out the realisation in small notes if necessary. An ornament must stay a flexible decoration: it must never distort the pulse.
Common mistake: playing a Baroque or Classical appoggiatura like an acciaccatura (too short, before the beat). The appoggiatura falls on the beat and is clearly heard: it carries the expression. Read the preface of urtext editions, which often explain each composer's ornaments (Bach's ornament table, Couperin's…).