Overview
This lesson covers four main types of ornamentation in piano music—trills, mordents, turns, and grace notes—including how they are played, written, and practiced.
Ornamentation Overview
- Ornaments are decorative musical flourishes added to notes, commonly found in Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music.
- The most common ornaments are trills, mordents, turns, and grace notes.
Trills
- A trill is a rapid alternation between a written note and the note above it, starting on the upper note.
- Trills are usually indicated by "tr" or a squiggly line above the note.
- The duration of the trill matches the note’s value (e.g., trill the whole note length).
- Practice trills slowly, using finger dexterity rather than moving the entire hand.
- Keep hands relaxed and avoid putting excess weight or tension into trills.
Mordents
- A mordent begins on the written note, quickly moves to the note below, then returns to the original note.
- Written as a short squiggle above the note (sometimes with a line through it).
- Mordents and all ornaments should use accidentals as required by the key signature.
Turns
- A turn involves a four-note movement: note above, written note, note below, written note in sequence.
- Indicated by a sideways "S" above the staff.
- Practice turns by dropping fingers lightly and evenly.
Grace Notes
- Grace notes are small notes with a line through them, played quickly before the principal note.
- Sometimes called appoggiaturas or acciaccaturas.
- Grace notes without a slash take half the value of the main note; with a slash, they are played very quickly.
- Grace notes should be played lightly and lead smoothly into the main note.
Technique & Injury Prevention
- Train hand and finger strength gradually; stop at any sign of pain to avoid injury (e.g., tendonitis).
- Maintain a light touch, using finger movement rather than arm weight or tension.
- Seek medical advice for medication side effects impacting playing ability.
Examples in Sheet Music
- Examples of mordents, trills, turns, and grace notes can be found in Baroque and Classical pieces, such as Menuet in G Major.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ornamentation — Decorative notes added to embellish the melody.
- Trill — Rapid alternation between a note and the note above.
- Mordent — Quick alternating movement from a note to the note below and back.
- Turn — Sequence involving note above, note, note below, and note again.
- Grace Note — Extra, quick note played before the main note.
- Appoggiatura / Acciaccatura — Types of grace notes, differentiated by notation and rhythmic interpretation.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice playing slow trills, mordents, turns, and grace notes with relaxed hands.
- Pay attention to ornament markings in assigned repertoire.
- Review music theory on key signatures and note values as they relate to ornamentation.