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A.2Supplement A, Ornaments and Abbreviations

Ornaments (2): Turn, Trill, Mordent

This lesson shows you how to read and perform three more ornaments, the turn, the trill and the mordent, in their various forms.

13 min9 questionsDanhauser § 272 to 281

The turn

Let's start with the turn, “gruppetto” in Italian, which means “little group”. It is a group of three or four notes that follows or precedes the main note. It is written in small notes, or shown by a sign shaped like an S lying on its side.

When the first curl of the sign points up, the turn begins on the upper note.
When the first curl points down, you have the inverted turn, which begins on the lower note.

This is the ordinary sign, with its first curl pointing up, so you start on the upper note. The inverted sign, the same shape flipped with its first curl pointing down, starts the turn on the lower note.

1. The sign directly above a note

In this case, the turn has three notes. You play it before the main note, and its value is borrowed from it: the upper note, the main note, the lower note, and then the main note.

This is how it is written.

Here is the effect: a quick triplet of upper, main and lower notes, then the main note.

2. The sign between two different notes

Now the turn is played before the second note, and its value is borrowed from the first. This time it has four notes: upper, main, lower, main.

This is how it is written: the sign sits between C and D.

Here is the effect: C is held, then you play D, C, B♭ and C, and finally D.

3. After a dotted note, or between two notes of the same pitch

In this case, the turn is placed within the value of the dot, just before the next note.

This is how it is written: the sign comes after a dotted quarter note, or dotted crotchet.

Here is the effect: the quarter note is held, the turn fills the value of the dot, and then comes the eighth note.

Accidentals in a turn

If the upper note of the turn is to be altered, the accidental goes above the sign; if it is the lower note, it goes below. And if both are to be altered, you put one accidental above and another below.

This is how it is written: the turn ornaments G, and the sharp below the sign alters the lower note, which becomes F sharp.

Here is the effect: G is held, then come A, G, F sharp and G, and finally A.

In a lively passage, play the turn quickly, so that it helps sharpen the rhythm; in a broad, singing melody, make it more sustained.

The trill

Now let's turn to the trill, a rapid alternation of two adjacent notes. The written note is always the lower one. The trill is shown by the letters tr, often followed by a wavy line that shows how long it lasts. When the upper note must be altered, Danhauser places the accidental below the letters tr, between tr and the note.

First, a plain trill on E; then a trill on C with D♭ as the upper note. Danhauser places the accidental below the letters tr, but modern editions usually place it above, as here.

A trill has three parts: the preparation, the alternations and the termination. There are three main preparations, and each one is shown by a small note:

In the 1st preparation, you start on the written note itself, and the small note is sometimes left out.
In the 2nd preparation, you start on the upper note.
In the 3rd preparation, you start on the lower note.

The terminations are also shown by small notes, most often the lower note and then the main note, before you move on to the next note.

This is how it is written: the three preparations, each with its termination.

Listen to the three preparations: from the written note, from the upper note, and from the lower note.

Play the termination at the same speed as the alternations; in adagios, however, you may slow it down. And always play a trill with great evenness.

The mordent

Last comes the mordent, a very quick alternation of two adjacent notes. The first is the main note; the second is the step above or the step below, a whole step or a half step away. You then return to the main note and hold it.

It is written in small notes, or shown by a short wavy sign. Without a line, the mordent uses the upper note: this is the upper mordent. Crossed by a vertical line, it uses the lower note: this is the lower mordent.

This is how the two signs are written.

Here is the effect: main note, neighbor, main note, very fast, and then the held note.

Exercisein the method's spirit

Write out the effect of a turn (ordinary sign, first curl pointing up) placed above the quarter note G, in a 2/4 measure where G is followed by a quarter note C.

Exercisein the method's spirit

A trill on E has a sharp below the letters tr. Which notes alternate?

Check your understanding

9 questions

A turn consists of:

The first curl of the turn sign points up. Which note do you start on?

The turn sign is placed between two different notes. Which note does it borrow its value from?

A sharp is placed below the turn sign. It alters:

In a trill, the written note is:

What are the three parts of a trill?

In Baroque music, a trill most often begins:

How do you perform this sign on C?

Can you slow down the termination of a trill?

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