Questions tagged [ornaments]
Ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody (or harmony), but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line.
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What does tying an acciaccatura to the principal note with a slur imply?
Note that this is not a duplicate of this question, which asks for a grace note tied to the same principal note. This is more generally about tying grace notes (specifically acciaccaturas) to any ...
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3answers
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Is this an appoggiatura?
Would you call the A going to G in the second group of 16th notes here an appoggiatura? It seems to fit the definition because it is approached by a leap. However, what makes me feel unsure is that ...
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1answer
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What is this type of ornament, and how should it be played?
An appoggiatura is a grace note type ornament, that precedes main note it slurred to. When it is played, it takes some time from the main note.
An appoggiatura looks like this : and should be ...
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1answer
50 views
Is it correct to call this figure a “turn figure” in Haydn's Surprise Symphony?
In the IB Music Revision Guide, the author says that a cadence in the second movement of Haydn's Surprise Symphony (end of the first statement of the theme) is "decorated with a turn figure" (see ...
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1answer
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note cancelling or what is it called?
i came across a sign on my notation where a note is being played that is G after that there is a note in between e that is open but we first play it and then hammer on it... what is it called ?
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1answer
888 views
Strange Ornamental Symbol on Bach Piece
This is from the marvelous andante from Bach’s organ trio sonata BWV 528. What does this symbol mean on the stave of the second keyboard? I am assuming it is ornamental. Is it just a strange version ...
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1answer
55 views
Music theory-Ornaments-TURN [closed]
Which of the given options would be correct for the turn ornament shown in the piece of music.
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Why is there so much dispute about how ornaments are supposed to be played in classical music?
It seems like almost every piece with an ornament has some argument as to how it is supposed to be played. For example, in my Alfred's edition of Fantaisie-impromptu, the footnote claims that the ...
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2answers
838 views
Weird acciaccatura (?) notation in Chopin's polonaise
I am not sure how to interpret the particular notation in Chopin's Op.53 Polonaise:
Here, we have a single (smaller font) Eb (just before the trill). I should interpret it as a grace note, but then ...
4
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1answer
148 views
Identifying piano notation symbol in Chopin Mazurka
I'm trying to identify what this symbol is (circled in pencil) in the sheet music for Mazurka no.4 op.17 by Chopin. It looks like two connected diamond shapes, and I can't find an explanation of it ...
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2answers
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How to use Meend in Bansuri Playing
I am following tutorial to play Om Jai Jagdish Hare.
The gentleman says we can use Meend in Bansuri. He explains it is a soft way to go from one note to the next.
How would I do it.
The video ...
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2answers
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Would an accidental in a mordant still be effective for the whole measure?
This is from Bach's Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue:
This would obviously be played D, C#, D. Let's say that there was a C on the same octave later in that measure. Would the C be sharp?
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1answer
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Need help understanding the double sharp turn in Chopin's prelude in e minor [duplicate]
I need help understanding why the notes in this turn are B-A#-Gx-A#.
I don't understand how the double sharp affects the turn. I would assume that instead of A# being the "base note" (for lack of a ...
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2answers
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Ornaments in ABRSM theory, start on the note or the note above?
I know that depending on the era you can either start on the note or note above in some ornamentation such as a turn or mordent.
For Abrsm grade 8 theory do you start on the note or the note above so ...
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1answer
245 views
When would Bach start an ornament- just before the beat, or right on it? [duplicate]
In his table (see below) , all examples seem to start ON the beat, not before it.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Bach-ornamentguide.jpg
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1answer
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Are grace notes ever notated with notes of exact duration?
I’m learning a new piece of music that has a couple of Grace notes in it which has led me to wonder if it had a unique use or were there other ways of writing the piece using, for example, a one ...
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1answer
173 views
Baroque mordent with leading “slur”?
I'm currently studying Bach's Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1052 on the piano and arrived at the second movement. In there, I noticed a mordent that I'm not all too sure how to play. Here's a picture, it's ...
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1answer
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Two different approaches to the mordent in one piece in baroque? [duplicate]
I've got a question regarding the mordent over the two different notes with different realization in Bach's Partita No.4 Aria (as in the image). The first one starts from a note above while the second ...
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2answers
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What does the plus (+) ornament mean?
I am learning a baroque piece on the recorder. Some notes have an unusual ornamentation symbol. How is a note with a plus sign over it played? It was suggested to play it as a mordent. Is that correct?...
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3answers
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Unplayable turn in Beethoven sonata
Beethoven's piano sonata Op. 2 No. 3, first movement,
bars 179-180 (Henle edition).
The turn decorating each eighth note can be played literally.
Except for the one on bar 179's A sharp, because ...
0
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1answer
70 views
How to perform these ornaments?
How do you play the "opppsite" acciaccatura?
And what does it mean by Glissafter?
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2answers
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Weird 16th notes (I think) in score, not sure how to count them / not sure of their value
I found this weird grouping of notes in a song I'm trying to learn and I want to understand why they are played the way they are. I can listen to the song and replicate it but I don't understand why ...
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2answers
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Appoggiaturas not spelled out
Why are many simple appoggiaturas not spelled out?
E.g., a quarter with an 8th note appoggiatura which would give the same as two 8th notes.
One could notate many passages using appoggiaturas but ...
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2answers
263 views
Horizontal bar in trill fingering
I'm looking at the Henle edition of Bach's WTC, specifically at d-moll Fugue (BWV 851), and in the second measure I see a trill:
(This is András Schiff's fingering).
What is that horizontal bar over ...
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2answers
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Difference between a mordent and an appoggiatura in Chopin's Waltz in A minor (op. posth.)
The following are bars 34 and 35 of Chopin's Waltz in A minor (op. posth.)
If I understand the notation correctly, the mordent in bar 34 should be played C#, D, C#. Why is it denoted differently than ...
6
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1answer
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Grace notes: when are they played on the beat, and when are they played off?
Since my performance experience is mostly in music after 1850, and since my instrument very rarely has any grace notes, I've been mixed up for some time on how to play grace notes in different musical ...
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2answers
633 views
Reinforcing meter when dealing with alternating 1/8 and 1/16 notes and rests
Below is an excerpt from a not very known piece (in 4/4 time) that prominently features abuses ornament notes:
In an attempt to simplify the piece (which is full of similar ornamentation) while ...
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1answer
457 views
What's the difference between the two arpeggio symbols (default and upwards)?
What is the difference between the symbol in the upper-left corner (with no arrow) and the one next to it (with an upwards arrow)? Aren't the two the same?
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How to play this trill in Mozart's Piano Sonata 14 (K457)
How does one play this trill in this Mozart Sonata? Does it mean we play 3 notes (Eb, F, Eb) before the last two notes of the second bar? Or how many trills does one have to play?
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4answers
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What are these small notated notes?
Does the size of the notes have any meaning or is this only for space purposes?
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2answers
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J.S. Bach: Prelude #1 for well tempered clavier: mordent
In a book with this piece given to me there is a mordent in tact 34:
on the other hand when I downloaded the piece from the Internet, the mordent at this place was missing:
So, did it exist in the ...
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2answers
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Appoggiatura and acciaccatura
Can you write the appoggiatura and acciaccatura after a note? I have always seen it before a note.
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0answers
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Background music for Kids, looking for suggestions on instruments and ornaments
This piece of music is intended to be played seamlessly in an endless loop. The piece has easy to follow and memorable melodies with a bit of irreverence at the beginning and at the end but with a ...
2
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1answer
370 views
Upper turn Nocturne
Hi guys,
Anyone know the exact notes to play for this upper turn that is circled in red ?
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1answer
786 views
Piano notation for trilling just one note in a chord?
I have a piano chord (specifically a triad), and I want to trill the note at the top.
Is there any way to express this using musical notation? Also, if there is notation for this, how would I do it ...
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1answer
341 views
How long is an appoggiatura in triple time?
I am currently playing in a baroque group.
The question has arisen as to how long an appoggiatura should be in triple or compound meters.
According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
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2answers
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Ornament Symbol for Triplet
I am writing a piece of music that has a lot of triplets used as ornaments. Is there a symbol like this:
that will be played as as a triplet on the note?
Example: note is G. With symbol over it, ...
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votes
3answers
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Interpretation of Bach's ornaments
In some of Bach's works, this ornament, which contains twelve 32nd notes, seems to start once the above three 16th note have stopped, basically playing them during the rest...
At least that's the way ...
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2answers
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Beethovens pathetique 2nd movement
Need help with the notation in Beethovens Pathetique 2nd movement. Bars 20 and 21.How are these played? What notes are played forthe ornamentation.
Bar 20:
Bar 21:
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2answers
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Mordants: Auxiliary note is a note that has been modified by an accidental earlier in the measure. What do I play? [duplicate]
I was under the impression that whenever you see a mordant or a trill, the auxiliary note is the next note up in the key signature.
But I'm a bit confused on how to proceed here. This is measure 57 ...
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3answers
871 views
How to play the turns in Muzio Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 No. 4
I'm learning Muzio Clementi's Sonatina Opus 36, Number 4. In Andante con espressione, there are a number of turns as played in this video (it will take you to the correct time in the video). I had ...
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6answers
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What is the point in writing an appoggiatura?
An appoggiatura is a small grace note written to suspend the resolution of a chord. It takes half of the actual note's value, usually. So, why write that when it could be written out with ordinary ...
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5answers
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What does a mordent written to the left of a note mean?
In this arrangement of Wachet Auf, there are quite a few mordents sprinkled around, as well as trills and grace notes. I understand most of them, but in the middle of this excerpt,
right before the ...
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1answer
433 views
Trills in Bach with historical information
This is an old question, but I have issues with playing the tr's in Bach's wtc. His autograph instruction for embellishments (he gave to his son) indicated a trillo to be played without the ending ...
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1answer
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What does an apostrophe on top of a note mean?
In my music (Trombone/Baritone), I see an apostrophe on top of a few notes. What does this mean?
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3answers
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Ornaments in J. S. Bach's 4th prelude
Inverted mordents and turns are frequently used in the prelude No.4 of J.S. Bach in C-sharp minor. In what follows I assume the key of the piece is known.
My first question is related to the normal ...
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1answer
202 views
Grace note in Bar 20 of Chopin's Op. 10 No. 3
What is the correct interpretation of the ornament in bar 20 of Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 3 — that is, the final full bar below:
The recordings I've heard generally repeat the G# but not all of them ...
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7answers
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How do you practice trills on piano?
The title says it all: my trills on piano are really terrible, unless they are 1-2 or 2-3.
Anything involving the 5th finger is especially awful.
I have the same feeling of frustration of when I ...
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1answer
94 views
How are fingerings on ornamented notes to be interpreted?
Do fingerings refer to the "main" note or the first note of the ornament realization?
Suppose I have a trilled B over which the editor has put a 3.
Does it mean that I play it 3-2, the C with the 3 ...
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2answers
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Bach: How is this mordent to be realized? Why do people play it like a trill?
So, the old Invention No. 1 by JSB:
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/72/IMSLP63611-PMLP03267-Bach_Oeves_Complets_Peters_Liv_7_BWV_772-786_2748.pdf
The B on the 4th beat of the 1st ...
