Ornaments: Grace Notes, Trills, Arpeggios and Turns

In Reading Music, Vol. 20, we look at ornaments: signs and small notes that decorate a melody. Some ornaments are written as smaller notes; others are indicated by symbols rather than by spelling out every sounding note.

Grace notes

A grace note is a small note placed immediately before a principal melody note. It is one of the most commonly encountered ornaments.

Trills

A trill, often written tr, calls for a rapid alternation between the written note and the note above it. The following example illustrates the notes you would play.

Arpeggios

An arpeggio is a chord whose notes are played in succession rather than at exactly the same moment. The example illustrates that spread or rolled effect.

Turns

A turn is a melodic ornament in which the line moves around the principal note. It can be difficult to interpret if you have not learned the symbol, so study the written example carefully.

Even when you can play all the required notes, you still need to understand the symbols that tell you how to ornament them. Becoming familiar with these markings will help you read more fluently and realize the composer's intentions.