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Ornament (music)
Encyclopedia
In music
, 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. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note. The amount of ornamentation in a piece of music can vary from quite extensive (it was often so in the Baroque
period) to relatively little or even none. The word agrément is used specifically to indicate the French Baroque style of ornamentation. A very important function of the ornamentation in early and baroque
keyboard
music was as a way of creating a longer sustain of the note on a harpsichord
, clavichord
, or virginal, such instruments being unable to sustain a long note in the same manner as a pipe organ
.
In the baroque period, it was common for performers to improvise
ornamentation on a given melodic line. A singer performing a da capo aria
, for instance, would sing the melody relatively unornamented the first time, but decorate it with additional flourishes the second time. Improvised ornamentation continues to be part of the Irish
musical tradition, particularly in sean-nós
singing but also throughout the wider tradition as performed by the best players.
Ornamentation may also be indicated by the composer. A number of standard ornaments (described below) are indicated with standard symbols in music notation, while other ornamentations may be appended to the staff in small notes, or simply written out normally. Frequently, a composer will have his or her own vocabulary of ornaments, which will be explained in a preface, much like a code. A grace note
is a note written in smaller type, with or without a slash through it, to indicate that its note value
does not count as part of the total time value of the measure
. Alternatively, the term may refer more generally to any of the small notes used to mark some other ornament (see Appoggiatura, below), or in association with some other ornament’s indication (see Trill, below), regardless of the timing used in the execution.
In Spain
, these ornaments were called "diferenzias", and can be traced back to the early 16th century, when the first books with music for the guitar were produced.
is a rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above, also known as the shake. Usually, if the music containing the trill was written before 1800 the trill is played by starting a note above the written note. If the music was written after 1800 then the trill is usually played by starting on the note written and going up to the note above. A printed score will often indicate which interpretation is to be used, either in the preface to the score or by using a grace note.
Sometimes it is expected that the trill will end with a turn (by sounding the note below rather than the note above the principal note, immediately before the last sounding of the principal note), or some other variation. Such variations are often marked with a few grace notes following the note that bears the trill indication. The trill is indicated by either a
or a 
~~, with the ~ representing the length of the trill, above the staff. In Baroque music, the trill is sometimes indicated with a + (plus) sign above or below the note.
There is also a single tone trill variously called trillo or tremolo in late Renaissance and early Baroque.
Note: This information is correct, except that the + is really a lower-case T written with the crossbar bisecting the vertical stroke. Trills can be notated as the squiggle, tr, t, or +. See corrections on other ornaments, however, below.
is thought of as a rapid alternation between an indicated note, the note above (called the upper mordent, inverted mordent, or pralltriller) or below (called the lower mordent or mordent), and the indicated note again.
The upper mordent is indicated by a short squiggle (which may also indicate a trill); the lower mordent is the same with a short vertical line through it:
As with the trill, the exact speed with which the mordent is performed will vary according to the tempo of the piece, but, at a moderate tempo, the above might be executed as follows:
Confusion over the meaning of the unadorned word mordent has led to the modern terms upper and lower mordent being used, rather than mordent and inverted mordent. Practice, notation, and nomenclature vary widely for all of these ornaments, that is to say, whether, by including the symbol
for a mordent in a musical score, a composer intended the direction of the additional note (or notes) to be played above or below the principal note written on the sheet music varies according to when the piece was written, and in which country. This article as a whole addresses an approximate nineteenth-century standard.
In the Baroque period
, a Mordant
(the German
or Scottish
equivalent of mordent
) was what later came to be called an inverted mordent and what is now often called a lower mordent. In the 19th century, however, the name mordent was generally applied to what is now called the upper mordent. Although mordents are now thought of as just a single alternation between notes, in the Baroque period a Mordant may sometimes have been executed with more than one alternation between the indicated note and the note below, making it a sort of inverted trill. Mordents of all sorts might typically, in some periods, begin with an extra inessential note (the lesser, added note), rather than with the principal note as shown in the examples here. The same applies to trills, which in Baroque and Classical times would standardly begin with the added, upper note. A lower inessential note may or may not be chromatically raised (that is, with a natural, a sharp, or even a double sharp) to make it just one semitone lower than the principal note.
The details of its execution depend partly on the exact placement of the turn mark. The following turns:
might be executed like this:
The exact speed at which the notes of a turn are executed can vary, as can its rhythm. The question of how a turn is best executed is largely one of context, convention, and taste. The lower and upper added notes may or may not be chromatically raised (see mordent).
An inverted turn (the note below the one indicated, the note itself, the note above it, and the note itself again) is usually indicated by putting a short vertical line through the normal turn sign, though sometimes the sign itself is turned upside down.
Appoggiatura (əˌpɒdʒəˈtjʊərə, appoddʒaˈtuːra) comes from the Italian verb appoggiare, "to lean upon". The long appoggiatura (as opposed to the short appoggiatura, the acciaccatura) is important melodically and often suspends the principal note by taking away the time-value of the appoggiatura prefixed to it (generally half the time value of the note, though in triple time, for example, it might receive two thirds of the time). The added note (the unessential note) is one degree higher or lower than the principal note; and, if lower, it may or may not be chromatically raised (see mordent).
The appoggiatura is written as a grace note
prefixed to a principal note and printed in small character, usually without the oblique stroke:
This would be executed as follows:
Appoggiaturas are also usually on the strong or strongest beat of the resolution and are approached by a leap and leave by a step. Musicians’ mnemonic: the appoggiatura is longer than the acciaccatura because it is podgy. This notation has also been used to mark an accent in the articulation of vocal music, meaning that the grace note should be emphasized, for example in Haydn’s Missa Brevis in G-dur, fifth bar for soprano and tenor voices.
So-called unaccented appoggiaturas are also quite common in many periods of music, even though they are disapproved of by some early theorists (for example CPE Bach
, in his Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen). While not being identical with the acciaccatura (see below), these are almost always quite short, and take their time from the allocation for the note that precedes them. They are more likely to be seen as full-size notes in the score, rather than in small character – at least in modern editions.
An ascending appoggiatura was previously known as a forefall, while a descending appoggiatura was known as a backfall.
The exact interpretation of this will vary according to the tempo of the piece, but the following is possible:
Whether the note should be played before or on the beat is largely a question of taste and performance practice. Exceptionally, the acciaccatura may be notated in the bar preceding the note to which it is attached, showing that it is to be played before the beat. (This guide to practice is unfortunately not available, of course, if the principal note does not fall at the beginning of the measure.)
The implication also varies with the composer and the period. For example, Mozart’s and Haydn’s long appoggiaturas are – to the eye – indistinguishable from Mussorgsky’s and Prokofiev’s before-the-beat acciaccaturas. In some cases on instruments that permit it, such as the piano, the acciaccatura is sounded simultaneously with the principal note, and then immediately released.
.
In contemporary classical music (especially in avant garde pieces) a glissando tends to assume the whole value of the initial note.
take on a different meaning. Most ornaments occur on the beat, and use diatonic intervals more exclusively than ornaments in later periods do. While any table of ornaments must give a strict presentation, consideration has to be given to the tempo and note length, since at rapid tempos it would be difficult or impossible to play all of the notes that are usually required. One realisation of some common Baroque ornaments is set in the following table from the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
written by J.S. Bach:
Ornamentation in Opera
a) What is ornamentation?:
According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music
, ornamentation is the "modification of music, usually but not always through the addition of notes, to make it more beautiful or effective, or to demonstrate the abilities of the interpreter."
b) Why is ornamentation used in opera arias?:
There are many reasons why singers use ornamentation. In the 18th century
, ornamentation was prevalent in vocal music
, particularly opera
. It was expected that singers would ornament. The form of the da capo aria
asks for ornamentation with the repeat of the A section (also known as A' or A "prime").
An example of the da capo aria's
request for ornamentation is Antonio Vivaldi's "Agitata da due venti" from his opera Griselda. The following clip features Cecilia Bartoli
singing with Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca: Video
From 0:35-1:14 is the first part of the A section of this da capo aria
. The notes sung here are exactly what is written in the score. In the time of bel canto, the da capo aria, with it's ABA' structure, was the most popular aria form. It was expected that the A and B sections be lightly ornamented with a trill here, a turn there. The returning A section was what contained more virtuosic ornamentation. If you listen to the returning A section, rather A', from 4:14-4:52 you will hear Cecilia Bartoli's
ornamentation: Video
Though Cecilia Bartoli
adds quite a bit of ornamentation, she still maintains the structure of Vivaldi's original melody (which you can hear from 0:35-1:14).
During the 18th century, ornamentation was seen as a way to make melodies
"more pleasing to the ear." But what began as a way to add a "little something" to a melody
soon began to take over entire arias
turning what was supposed to be a character's emotional statement into an extravaganza where singers showcased their virtuosic abilities. These showcases caused major disruption to an opera's story and the flow of the music. Composers
were none too pleased with a lot of the tasteless ornamentation that was going on. By the mid-19th century
, composers
began to lose their patience with the showy antics of opera
singers. In response, composers
began to write ornaments into the score rather than allowing singers to create their own embellishments. Gioachino Rossini was one of the first composers
to begin writing ornaments into his music. He once heard a soprano sing a version of Una voce poco fa, from his opera The Barber of Seville
, that was so heavily ornamented that he did not recognize the music as his own, replying to the soprano: "That was lovely dear. Who wrote it?"
After one too many run-ins with overly embellished forms of his works, Rossini vowed to write in all his ornamentation so that his music would not be "disfigured and upstaged by the vain display of singers."
Though composers began to reign in the singers significantly by writing in ornaments, it was still acceptable and expected for singers to take their time and create elaborate embellishments for cadenzas
, particularly the final cadenza
of an aria
. Eventually, the cadenza became the only place where singers had the freedom to extend and embellish. If a composer's written-in embellishment was not suitable for a particular singer, it was acceptable for said singer to substitute the original ornamentation for their own ornaments as long as they fit the aria's text and emotion.
c) How does one decide what kind of ornamentation to use?:
Today, there are a number of cadenzas that have become "standard" and are often utilized by singers in either similar or identical forms. In Verdi's time, standardized structures were also around, but singers were expected to improvise or at least incorporate their own ideas. If they did not, they were often considered unoriginal and ridiculed for their supposed lack of creativity.
There were two ways for a singer to approach ornamentation during Verdi's time:
1. On the spot improvisation. Like many of today's jazz musicians, some singers varied their ornaments constantly by choosing to improvise each time.
2. Worked out their ornaments ahead of time. A few singers even wrote down their embellishments in detailed notebooks.
Ornamentation in the aria
Giuseppe Verdi
, an Italian composer
who wrote 27 operas
, also began to write in his own ornamentation starting around the 1840's. His biggest concern was maintaining the dramatic and musical flow of the opera which, as we discussed earlier, a showcasing singer would disrupt.
Cadenzas: The last place where singers are able to ornament in opera arias.
In Will Crutchfield's
article "Vocal Ornamentation in Verdi: The Phonographic Evidence," specifically pages 7 and 8, he breaks down Verdi's cadenzas into three sections:
1) A section: The notes appearing directly over the V7 chord.
a. Defines the dominant 7th of the cadenza.
b. Often includes a flat 9th.
c. Sung after the chord is sounded.
2) B section: a florid melismatic (elaborate) or declamatory (lofty) sequence.
a. Florid
i. Almost always given to sopranos.
ii. To be sung in one breath.
iii. Sometimes scalar, but often more intricate and "attractive."
b. Declamatory
i. Set to the final lines of a cantabile's text.
ii. Syllabic: one or two pitches per syllable.
iii. Singers that could not or would not attempt the melismas
of the florid B section could simply leave it out, but may have to repeat the text.
3) C section: A conclusion that resolves to the final tonic.
a. Brief and functional.
b. Usually three or so notes.
c. Usually syllabic.
d. Resolves to the tonic
.
Examples of ornamentation in "Caro nome":
The following clips contain a few of the "standard" cadenzas that are used today with slight variations:
1. Gianna D'Angelo, 1958. The final cadenza can be found between 4:20-5:15.
2. Lucia Popp, 1968. The final cadenza can be found between 3:50-4:20.
3. Diana Damrau, 2010. The final cadenza can be found between 4:25-5:20.
Here are a couple of examples of slightly more elaborate cadenzas:
1. Iride Martinez, 2004. The final cadenza can be found between 4:25-5:15
2. Mado Robin, 1956. The final cadenza can be found between 2:42-3:20.
spoke warmly of musicians’ "sundry good and merry pranks with little runs/leaps".
Until the last decade of the 16th century the emphasis is on divisions, also known as diminutions, passaggi (in Italian) or glosas (by Ortiz) - a way to decorate a simple cadence or interval with extra shorter notes. These start as simple passing notes, progress to step-wise additions and in the most complicated cases are rapid passages of equal valued notes - virtuosic flourishes. There are rules for designing them, to make sure that the original structure of the music is left intact. Towards the end of this period the divisions detailed in the treatises contain more dotted and other uneven rhythms and leaps of more than one step at a time.
Starting with Archilei (1589), the treatises bring in a new set of expressive devices called graces alongside the divisions. These have a lot more rhythmic interest and are filled with affect as composers took much more interest in text portrayal. It starts with the trillo and cascate, and by the time we reach Francesco Rognoni (1620) we are also told about fashionable ornaments: portar la voce, accento, tremolo, gruppo, esclamatione and intonatio.
Key treatises detailing ornamentation:
is based on raga
s, a modal system
similar to Jazz with scales of 5 to 7 main notes (beside the microtones
) in the ascending and descending form. Its origin is dated back to the Vedas
. Indian classical music has evolved and split into two main parts: North Indian classical (Hindustani
) and South Indian classical (Carnatic
).
In Indian music generally and especially in classical music
staccato or isolated notes are almost unheard. With the exception of some very few instruments, the Indian notes (swara
s) are not of static nature. Each swara is linked with its preceding or succeeding note. Such an extra note (or grace note
) known as Kan-Swaras
set up the basis of all kind of alankars (Sanskrit: decoration with ornaments, ornaments of sound (shabd-alankar) or ornaments of words).
These ornaments of ragas, Alankar is essential for the beauty of raga melodies. The term Alankar can be found in ancient texts. One of the earliest treatises is the Natyashastra
written by the sage Bharata (between 200 BC and 200 AD), later on Alankaras are described in the Sangeet Ratnakar of Sharangdev (13th century) and Sangeet Parijat of Pandit Ahobal (17th century).
The classification of alankars is relating to the structure of ragas and the aesthetic aspect (latter classification = Shabdalankar). All techniques refer to the sound production utilized by the human voice, imitated by any kind of Indian instrument (e.g. Sitar
, Sarod
, Shehnai
, Sarangi
, Santoor
, etc.).
The variations of a raga performance within a defined frame of compositorial rules and reglements using the different types of Alankara-s can be termed as whole simply as alankar.
Different types of alankars exist, e.g. Meend
, Kan
, Sparsh
, Krintan, Andolan, Gamak
, Kampit (or Kampan), Khatka (or Gitkari), Zamzama
, Murki
and combination of alankars in Indian classical performances.
. Improvised ornaments in rock solos or instrumental melody lines are often idiosyncratic to specific instruments. Electric guitar players use a variety of ornaments that are specific to their instrument, such as the hammer-on
and the pull-off
, both of which can resemble a trill.
While rock and pop are typically learned by ear, with the arrangements fleshed out with improvisation, the style also includes notated music, particularly in arranged music for larger ensembles. This notated music uses some of the most-used "Classical" ornaments, such as trills and mordents.
While jazz is substantially based upon improvisation, the style also includes notated music, particularly in music for larger ensembles such as big bands. Small ensembles may also use notated music for part of their performances, in arrangements of a tune’s main theme. Notated jazz music incorporates most of the standard "classical" ornaments, such as trills, grace notes, and mordents. As well, written jazz notation may also include other ornaments, such as "dead" or "ghost" notes (a percussive sound, notated by an "X"), glissandi (step-wise glides between a start and destination note, written with a long line), or an instruction to "fill
" part of a bar with an embellishment (notated with diagonal slashes in the bar).
, Scottish
, and Cape Breton
music. A singer, fiddler, flautist, harpist, tin whistle
r, piper
or a player of another instrument may add grace notes (known as 'cuts' in fiddling), slides, rolls, doubling, mordents, drones, trebles, or a variety of other ornaments to a given melody.
List articles:
Opera
Verdi
Rigoletto
Ornamentation
Aria
Composer
Singer
Da capo aria
Verdi
The Barber of Seville
Una voce poco fa
Rossini
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, 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. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note. The amount of ornamentation in a piece of music can vary from quite extensive (it was often so in the Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
period) to relatively little or even none. The word agrément is used specifically to indicate the French Baroque style of ornamentation. A very important function of the ornamentation in early and baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
music was as a way of creating a longer sustain of the note on a harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, clavichord
Clavichord
The clavichord is a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was widely used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances. The clavichord produces...
, or virginal, such instruments being unable to sustain a long note in the same manner as a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
In the baroque period, it was common for performers to improvise
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
ornamentation on a given melodic line. A singer performing a da capo aria
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
, for instance, would sing the melody relatively unornamented the first time, but decorate it with additional flourishes the second time. Improvised ornamentation continues to be part of the Irish
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
musical tradition, particularly in sean-nós
Sean-nós song
Sean-nós is a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing. It is a sean-nós activity, which also includes sean-nós dancing...
singing but also throughout the wider tradition as performed by the best players.
Ornamentation may also be indicated by the composer. A number of standard ornaments (described below) are indicated with standard symbols in music notation, while other ornamentations may be appended to the staff in small notes, or simply written out normally. Frequently, a composer will have his or her own vocabulary of ornaments, which will be explained in a preface, much like a code. A grace note
Grace note
A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments. When occurring by itself, a single grace note normally indicates the intention of either an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura...
is a note written in smaller type, with or without a slash through it, to indicate that its note value
Note value
In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the color or shape of the note head, the presence or absence of a stem, and the presence or absence of flags/beams/hooks/tails....
does not count as part of the total time value of the measure
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
. Alternatively, the term may refer more generally to any of the small notes used to mark some other ornament (see Appoggiatura, below), or in association with some other ornament’s indication (see Trill, below), regardless of the timing used in the execution.
In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, these ornaments were called "diferenzias", and can be traced back to the early 16th century, when the first books with music for the guitar were produced.
Trill
A trillTrill (music)
The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill....
is a rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above, also known as the shake. Usually, if the music containing the trill was written before 1800 the trill is played by starting a note above the written note. If the music was written after 1800 then the trill is usually played by starting on the note written and going up to the note above. A printed score will often indicate which interpretation is to be used, either in the preface to the score or by using a grace note.
Sometimes it is expected that the trill will end with a turn (by sounding the note below rather than the note above the principal note, immediately before the last sounding of the principal note), or some other variation. Such variations are often marked with a few grace notes following the note that bears the trill indication. The trill is indicated by either a
or a ~~, with the ~ representing the length of the trill, above the staff. In Baroque music, the trill is sometimes indicated with a + (plus) sign above or below the note.There is also a single tone trill variously called trillo or tremolo in late Renaissance and early Baroque.
Note: This information is correct, except that the + is really a lower-case T written with the crossbar bisecting the vertical stroke. Trills can be notated as the squiggle, tr, t, or +. See corrections on other ornaments, however, below.
Mordent
The mordentMordent
In music, a mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with a single rapid alternation with the note above or below. Like trills, they can be chromatically modified by a small flat, sharp or natural accidental...
is thought of as a rapid alternation between an indicated note, the note above (called the upper mordent, inverted mordent, or pralltriller) or below (called the lower mordent or mordent), and the indicated note again.
The upper mordent is indicated by a short squiggle (which may also indicate a trill); the lower mordent is the same with a short vertical line through it:
As with the trill, the exact speed with which the mordent is performed will vary according to the tempo of the piece, but, at a moderate tempo, the above might be executed as follows:
Confusion over the meaning of the unadorned word mordent has led to the modern terms upper and lower mordent being used, rather than mordent and inverted mordent. Practice, notation, and nomenclature vary widely for all of these ornaments, that is to say, whether, by including the symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
for a mordent in a musical score, a composer intended the direction of the additional note (or notes) to be played above or below the principal note written on the sheet music varies according to when the piece was written, and in which country. This article as a whole addresses an approximate nineteenth-century standard.
In the Baroque period
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, a Mordant
Mordant
A mordant is a substance used to set dyes on fabrics or tissue sections by forming a coordination complex with the dye which then attaches to the fabric or tissue. It may be used for dyeing fabrics, or for intensifying stains in cell or tissue preparations. The term mordant comes from the Latin...
(the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
or Scottish
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
equivalent of mordent
Mordent
In music, a mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with a single rapid alternation with the note above or below. Like trills, they can be chromatically modified by a small flat, sharp or natural accidental...
) was what later came to be called an inverted mordent and what is now often called a lower mordent. In the 19th century, however, the name mordent was generally applied to what is now called the upper mordent. Although mordents are now thought of as just a single alternation between notes, in the Baroque period a Mordant may sometimes have been executed with more than one alternation between the indicated note and the note below, making it a sort of inverted trill. Mordents of all sorts might typically, in some periods, begin with an extra inessential note (the lesser, added note), rather than with the principal note as shown in the examples here. The same applies to trills, which in Baroque and Classical times would standardly begin with the added, upper note. A lower inessential note may or may not be chromatically raised (that is, with a natural, a sharp, or even a double sharp) to make it just one semitone lower than the principal note.
Turn
A short figure consisting of the note above the one indicated, the note itself, the note below the one indicated, and the note itself again. It is marked by a mirrored S-shape lying on its side above the staff.The details of its execution depend partly on the exact placement of the turn mark. The following turns:
might be executed like this:
The exact speed at which the notes of a turn are executed can vary, as can its rhythm. The question of how a turn is best executed is largely one of context, convention, and taste. The lower and upper added notes may or may not be chromatically raised (see mordent).
An inverted turn (the note below the one indicated, the note itself, the note above it, and the note itself again) is usually indicated by putting a short vertical line through the normal turn sign, though sometimes the sign itself is turned upside down.
Appoggiatura
- See also Nonchord tone.
Appoggiatura (əˌpɒdʒəˈtjʊərə, appoddʒaˈtuːra) comes from the Italian verb appoggiare, "to lean upon". The long appoggiatura (as opposed to the short appoggiatura, the acciaccatura) is important melodically and often suspends the principal note by taking away the time-value of the appoggiatura prefixed to it (generally half the time value of the note, though in triple time, for example, it might receive two thirds of the time). The added note (the unessential note) is one degree higher or lower than the principal note; and, if lower, it may or may not be chromatically raised (see mordent).
The appoggiatura is written as a grace note
Grace note
A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments. When occurring by itself, a single grace note normally indicates the intention of either an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura...
prefixed to a principal note and printed in small character, usually without the oblique stroke:
This would be executed as follows:
Appoggiaturas are also usually on the strong or strongest beat of the resolution and are approached by a leap and leave by a step. Musicians’ mnemonic: the appoggiatura is longer than the acciaccatura because it is podgy. This notation has also been used to mark an accent in the articulation of vocal music, meaning that the grace note should be emphasized, for example in Haydn’s Missa Brevis in G-dur, fifth bar for soprano and tenor voices.
So-called unaccented appoggiaturas are also quite common in many periods of music, even though they are disapproved of by some early theorists (for example CPE Bach
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
right|250pxCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and second son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach...
, in his Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen). While not being identical with the acciaccatura (see below), these are almost always quite short, and take their time from the allocation for the note that precedes them. They are more likely to be seen as full-size notes in the score, rather than in small character – at least in modern editions.
An ascending appoggiatura was previously known as a forefall, while a descending appoggiatura was known as a backfall.
Acciaccatura
Acciaccatura (əˌtʃækəˈtjʊərə, attʃakkaˈtuːra) comes from the Italian verb acciaccare, "to crush". The acciaccatura (sometimes called short appoggiatura) is perhaps best thought of as a shorter, less melodically significant, variant of the long appoggiatura, where the delay of the principal note is scarcely perceptible – theoretically subtracting no time at all. It is written using a grace note (often a quaver, or eighth note), with an oblique stroke through the stem:The exact interpretation of this will vary according to the tempo of the piece, but the following is possible:
Whether the note should be played before or on the beat is largely a question of taste and performance practice. Exceptionally, the acciaccatura may be notated in the bar preceding the note to which it is attached, showing that it is to be played before the beat. (This guide to practice is unfortunately not available, of course, if the principal note does not fall at the beginning of the measure.)
The implication also varies with the composer and the period. For example, Mozart’s and Haydn’s long appoggiaturas are – to the eye – indistinguishable from Mussorgsky’s and Prokofiev’s before-the-beat acciaccaturas. In some cases on instruments that permit it, such as the piano, the acciaccatura is sounded simultaneously with the principal note, and then immediately released.
Glissando
A glissando is a slide from one note to another, signified by a wavy line connecting the two notes. All of the intervening diatonic or chromatic (depending on instrument and context) are heard, albeit very briefly. In this way, the glissando differs from portamentoPortamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
.
In contemporary classical music (especially in avant garde pieces) a glissando tends to assume the whole value of the initial note.
In Baroque music
Ornaments in Baroque musicBaroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
take on a different meaning. Most ornaments occur on the beat, and use diatonic intervals more exclusively than ornaments in later periods do. While any table of ornaments must give a strict presentation, consideration has to be given to the tempo and note length, since at rapid tempos it would be difficult or impossible to play all of the notes that are usually required. One realisation of some common Baroque ornaments is set in the following table from the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is a collection of keyboard music compiled by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann...
written by J.S. Bach:
Ornamentation in OperaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
ariasAriaAn aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
a) What is ornamentation?:According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music
Harvard Dictionary of Music
The Harvard Dictionary of Music is a standard music reference book published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.The first edition was published in 1944, and was edited by Willi Apel. The second edition, also edited by Apel, was published in 1969. A new editor, Don Michael Randel,...
, ornamentation is the "modification of music, usually but not always through the addition of notes, to make it more beautiful or effective, or to demonstrate the abilities of the interpreter."
b) Why is ornamentation used in opera arias?:
There are many reasons why singers use ornamentation. In the 18th century
18th century
The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.During the 18th century, the Enlightenment culminated in the French and American revolutions. Philosophy and science increased in prominence. Philosophers were dreaming about a better age without the Christian fundamentalism of...
, ornamentation was prevalent in vocal music
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, particularly opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. It was expected that singers would ornament. The form of the da capo aria
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
asks for ornamentation with the repeat of the A section (also known as A' or A "prime").
An example of the da capo aria's
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
request for ornamentation is Antonio Vivaldi's "Agitata da due venti" from his opera Griselda. The following clip features Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
singing with Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca: Video
From 0:35-1:14 is the first part of the A section of this da capo aria
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
. The notes sung here are exactly what is written in the score. In the time of bel canto, the da capo aria, with it's ABA' structure, was the most popular aria form. It was expected that the A and B sections be lightly ornamented with a trill here, a turn there. The returning A section was what contained more virtuosic ornamentation. If you listen to the returning A section, rather A', from 4:14-4:52 you will hear Cecilia Bartoli's
Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
ornamentation: Video
Though Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
adds quite a bit of ornamentation, she still maintains the structure of Vivaldi's original melody (which you can hear from 0:35-1:14).
During the 18th century, ornamentation was seen as a way to make melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
"more pleasing to the ear." But what began as a way to add a "little something" to a melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
soon began to take over entire arias
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
turning what was supposed to be a character's emotional statement into an extravaganza where singers showcased their virtuosic abilities. These showcases caused major disruption to an opera's story and the flow of the music. Composers
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
were none too pleased with a lot of the tasteless ornamentation that was going on. By the mid-19th century
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, composers
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
began to lose their patience with the showy antics of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singers. In response, composers
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
began to write ornaments into the score rather than allowing singers to create their own embellishments. Gioachino Rossini was one of the first composers
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
to begin writing ornaments into his music. He once heard a soprano sing a version of Una voce poco fa, from his opera The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, that was so heavily ornamented that he did not recognize the music as his own, replying to the soprano: "That was lovely dear. Who wrote it?"
After one too many run-ins with overly embellished forms of his works, Rossini vowed to write in all his ornamentation so that his music would not be "disfigured and upstaged by the vain display of singers."
Though composers began to reign in the singers significantly by writing in ornaments, it was still acceptable and expected for singers to take their time and create elaborate embellishments for cadenzas
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
, particularly the final cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
of an aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
. Eventually, the cadenza became the only place where singers had the freedom to extend and embellish. If a composer's written-in embellishment was not suitable for a particular singer, it was acceptable for said singer to substitute the original ornamentation for their own ornaments as long as they fit the aria's text and emotion.
c) How does one decide what kind of ornamentation to use?:
Today, there are a number of cadenzas that have become "standard" and are often utilized by singers in either similar or identical forms. In Verdi's time, standardized structures were also around, but singers were expected to improvise or at least incorporate their own ideas. If they did not, they were often considered unoriginal and ridiculed for their supposed lack of creativity.
There were two ways for a singer to approach ornamentation during Verdi's time:
1. On the spot improvisation. Like many of today's jazz musicians, some singers varied their ornaments constantly by choosing to improvise each time.
2. Worked out their ornaments ahead of time. A few singers even wrote down their embellishments in detailed notebooks.
Ornamentation in the ariaAriaAn aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
"Caro nome" from Rigoletto.RigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, specifically the final cadenza.
Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
, an Italian composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who wrote 27 operas
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, also began to write in his own ornamentation starting around the 1840's. His biggest concern was maintaining the dramatic and musical flow of the opera which, as we discussed earlier, a showcasing singer would disrupt.
Cadenzas: The last place where singers are able to ornament in opera arias.
In Will Crutchfield's
Will Crutchfield
Will Crutchfield is a noted American conductor, musicologist, and vocal coach. He is currently the Director of Opera at the Caramoor International Music Festival and a frequent guest conductor at the Polish National Opera...
article "Vocal Ornamentation in Verdi: The Phonographic Evidence," specifically pages 7 and 8, he breaks down Verdi's cadenzas into three sections:
1) A section: The notes appearing directly over the V7 chord.
a. Defines the dominant 7th of the cadenza.
b. Often includes a flat 9th.
c. Sung after the chord is sounded.
2) B section: a florid melismatic (elaborate) or declamatory (lofty) sequence.
a. Florid
i. Almost always given to sopranos.
ii. To be sung in one breath.
iii. Sometimes scalar, but often more intricate and "attractive."
b. Declamatory
i. Set to the final lines of a cantabile's text.
ii. Syllabic: one or two pitches per syllable.
iii. Singers that could not or would not attempt the melismas
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
of the florid B section could simply leave it out, but may have to repeat the text.
3) C section: A conclusion that resolves to the final tonic.
a. Brief and functional.
b. Usually three or so notes.
c. Usually syllabic.
d. Resolves to the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
.
Examples of ornamentation in "Caro nome":
The following clips contain a few of the "standard" cadenzas that are used today with slight variations:
1. Gianna D'Angelo, 1958. The final cadenza can be found between 4:20-5:15.
2. Lucia Popp, 1968. The final cadenza can be found between 3:50-4:20.
3. Diana Damrau, 2010. The final cadenza can be found between 4:25-5:20.
Here are a couple of examples of slightly more elaborate cadenzas:
1. Iride Martinez, 2004. The final cadenza can be found between 4:25-5:15
2. Mado Robin, 1956. The final cadenza can be found between 2:42-3:20.
Renaissance and early Baroque
From Silvestro Ganassi’s treatise in 1535 we have instruction and examples of how musicians of renaissance and early baroque decorated their music with improvised ornaments. Michael PraetoriusMichael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
spoke warmly of musicians’ "sundry good and merry pranks with little runs/leaps".
Until the last decade of the 16th century the emphasis is on divisions, also known as diminutions, passaggi (in Italian) or glosas (by Ortiz) - a way to decorate a simple cadence or interval with extra shorter notes. These start as simple passing notes, progress to step-wise additions and in the most complicated cases are rapid passages of equal valued notes - virtuosic flourishes. There are rules for designing them, to make sure that the original structure of the music is left intact. Towards the end of this period the divisions detailed in the treatises contain more dotted and other uneven rhythms and leaps of more than one step at a time.
Starting with Archilei (1589), the treatises bring in a new set of expressive devices called graces alongside the divisions. These have a lot more rhythmic interest and are filled with affect as composers took much more interest in text portrayal. It starts with the trillo and cascate, and by the time we reach Francesco Rognoni (1620) we are also told about fashionable ornaments: portar la voce, accento, tremolo, gruppo, esclamatione and intonatio.
Key treatises detailing ornamentation:
- Silvestro Ganassi dal FontegoSilvestro Ganassi dal FontegoSilvestro di Ganassi dal Fontego was a Venetian musician and author of two important treatises on instrumental technique....
Opera intitulata Fontegara..., Venice 1535 - Diego OrtizDiego OrtizDiego Ortiz was a Spanish composer and musicologist, in service to the Spanish viceroy in Naples and later to Philip II of Spain. Ortiz published influential treatises on both instrumental and vocal performance....
Trattado de glosas..., Rome, 1553 - Girolamo Dalla CasaGirolamo Dalla CasaGirolamo Dalla Casa was an Italian composer, instrumentalist, and writer of the late Renaissance. He was a member of the Venetian School, and was perhaps more famous and influential as a performer than as a composer....
Il vero modo diminuir..., Venice 1584 - Giovanni BassanoGiovanni BassanoGiovanni Bassano was an Italian Venetian School composer and cornettist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was a key figure in the development of the instrumental ensemble at St. Mark's basilica, and left a detailed book on instrumental ornamentation, which is a rich resource for...
Ricercate, passaggi et cadentie..., Venice 1585 - Riccardo RognoniRiccardo RognoniRiccardo Rognoni or Richardo Rogniono is the earliest known member of the Rognoni family which started one of the earliest of all violin schools, based in Milan. His treatise Passaggi per potersi esercitare nel diminuire , Venice 1592, is the first to mention the violino da brazzo, or violin...
Passaggi per potersi essercitare nel diminuire, 1592 - Giovanni Luca Conforto Breve et facile maniera...passaggi, Rome 1593
- Giovanni Battista Bovicelli Regole, passaggi di musica madrigali e motetti passaggiati, Venice 1594
- Aurelio Virgiliano Il Dolcimelo, c.1600
- Giulio CacciniGiulio CacciniGiulio Caccini , also known as Giulio Romano, was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the very late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre of opera, and one of the single most influential creators of the new Baroque style...
Le nuove musiche, 1602 - Francesco Rognoni Selva de varii passaggi..., 1620
- Giovanni Battista Spadi da Faenza Libro de passaggi ascendenti e descendenti, Venice, 1624
Indian classical music
Indian classical musicIndian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
is based on raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s, a modal system
Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
similar to Jazz with scales of 5 to 7 main notes (beside the microtones
Microtonal music
Microtonal music is music using microtones—intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone. Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
) in the ascending and descending form. Its origin is dated back to the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. Indian classical music has evolved and split into two main parts: North Indian classical (Hindustani
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
) and South Indian classical (Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
).
In Indian music generally and especially in classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
staccato or isolated notes are almost unheard. With the exception of some very few instruments, the Indian notes (swara
Swara
The seven notes of the scale , in Indian music are named shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad, and are shortened to Sa, Ri or Re , Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam...
s) are not of static nature. Each swara is linked with its preceding or succeeding note. Such an extra note (or grace note
Grace note
A grace note is a kind of music notation used to denote several kinds of musical ornaments. When occurring by itself, a single grace note normally indicates the intention of either an appoggiatura or an acciaccatura...
) known as Kan-Swaras
Swara
The seven notes of the scale , in Indian music are named shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad, and are shortened to Sa, Ri or Re , Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam...
set up the basis of all kind of alankars (Sanskrit: decoration with ornaments, ornaments of sound (shabd-alankar) or ornaments of words).
These ornaments of ragas, Alankar is essential for the beauty of raga melodies. The term Alankar can be found in ancient texts. One of the earliest treatises is the Natyashastra
Natya Shastra
The Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
written by the sage Bharata (between 200 BC and 200 AD), later on Alankaras are described in the Sangeet Ratnakar of Sharangdev (13th century) and Sangeet Parijat of Pandit Ahobal (17th century).
The classification of alankars is relating to the structure of ragas and the aesthetic aspect (latter classification = Shabdalankar). All techniques refer to the sound production utilized by the human voice, imitated by any kind of Indian instrument (e.g. Sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, Sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
, Shehnai
Shehnai
The shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
, Sarangi
Sarangi
The Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
, Santoor
Santoor
The santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
, etc.).
The variations of a raga performance within a defined frame of compositorial rules and reglements using the different types of Alankara-s can be termed as whole simply as alankar.
Different types of alankars exist, e.g. Meend
Meend
In Hindustani music, meend refers to a glide from one note to another. It is an essential performance practice, and is used often in vocal and instrumental music. On the veena, sitar, and other plucked stringed instruments, it is usually done by pushing the strings across the frets to vary their...
, Kan
Kan
Kan may refer to:* Kan River in Russia* Kan District of Iran* Kan * One of the Bacabs of Mayan mythology* Gan, the Wade-Giles spelling of the Pinyin word* Kan variation of the Sicilian Defence, a chess opening-In music:...
, Sparsh
Sparsh
Sparsh is the Sanskrit word for touch. It can refer to:*Kan-swars or sparsh-swars as an ornamentic of ragas in Indian Classical Music*Sparsh - Touch a life, a non profit charity organization*Sparsh , a 1980 Indian film...
, Krintan, Andolan, Gamak
Gamak
Gamaka, also known as gamak or gamakam, refers to ornamentation that is used in the performance of Indian classical music. The unique character of each raga is given by its gamakas, making their role essential rather than decorative in Indian music...
, Kampit (or Kampan), Khatka (or Gitkari), Zamzama
Zamzama
The Zamzama Gun, also known as Kim’s Gun or Bhangianwala Toap is a large bore cannon. It was cast in 1757 in Lahore, now in Pakistan but at the time part of the Durrani Empire...
, Murki
Murki
Murki is a short taan in Hindustani classical music. It is often delivered in rapidfire tempo, and is employed in thumris and other lighter genres. Other taans used in thumri gyaki include the khatka and the zamzama....
and combination of alankars in Indian classical performances.
Rock and pop
Ornamentation is also used in popular music such as rock and pop. Rock piano playing has incorporated many ornaments from early 1900s blues piano styles such as boogie-woogieBoogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
. Improvised ornaments in rock solos or instrumental melody lines are often idiosyncratic to specific instruments. Electric guitar players use a variety of ornaments that are specific to their instrument, such as the hammer-on
Hammer-on
Hammer-on is a stringed instrument playing technique performed by sharply bringing a fretting-hand finger down on the fingerboard behind a fret, causing a note to sound. This technique is the opposite of the pull-off...
and the pull-off
Pull-off
A pull-off is a stringed instrument technique performed by plucking a string by "pulling" the string off the fingerboard with one of the fingers being used to fret the note.-Performance and effect:...
, both of which can resemble a trill.
While rock and pop are typically learned by ear, with the arrangements fleshed out with improvisation, the style also includes notated music, particularly in arranged music for larger ensembles. This notated music uses some of the most-used "Classical" ornaments, such as trills and mordents.
Jazz
Jazz music incorporates a number of ornaments, which can be divided into improvised ornaments, which are added by performers during their solo extemporizations, and written ornaments. Improvised ornaments are often idiosyncratic to specific instruments. The Hammond organ playing in the jazz sub-genre of organ trio soul jazz often features trills which outline the harmony of a chord, glisses up or down the keyboard, and turn-like decorations. Saxophone players may decorate a simple melody line with turns, grace notes, and short glissandi created with the mouth and the reed.While jazz is substantially based upon improvisation, the style also includes notated music, particularly in music for larger ensembles such as big bands. Small ensembles may also use notated music for part of their performances, in arrangements of a tune’s main theme. Notated jazz music incorporates most of the standard "classical" ornaments, such as trills, grace notes, and mordents. As well, written jazz notation may also include other ornaments, such as "dead" or "ghost" notes (a percussive sound, notated by an "X"), glissandi (step-wise glides between a start and destination note, written with a long line), or an instruction to "fill
Fill (music)
In popular music, a fill is a short musical passage, riff, or rhythmic sound which helps to sustain the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody....
" part of a bar with an embellishment (notated with diagonal slashes in the bar).
Celtic music
Ornamentation is a major distinguishing characteristic of IrishFolk music of Ireland
The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...
, Scottish
Music of Scotland
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
, and Cape Breton
Cape Breton fiddling
Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom. Cape Breton Island's fiddle music was brought to North America by Scottish immigrants during the Highland Clearances. These Scottish immigrants were primarily from Gaelic-speaking regions in the Scottish...
music. A singer, fiddler, flautist, harpist, tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
r, piper
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
or a player of another instrument may add grace notes (known as 'cuts' in fiddling), slides, rolls, doubling, mordents, drones, trebles, or a variety of other ornaments to a given melody.
See also
- List of ornaments
- DreydlekhDreydlekhDreydlekh or "spins" are musical ornaments of klezmer music, particularly violin, used to produce its characteristic "tear in the voice" sound....
, ornaments in klezmerKlezmerKlezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
music
List articles:
Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Verdi
Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
Ornamentation
Ornament (music)
In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody , but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note...
Aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
Composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Singer
Da capo aria
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a musical form, which was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio...
Verdi
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
Una voce poco fa
Rossini