Ornament
A decorative note or group of notes added to a melody.
Category
performance
Pronunciation
OR-nuh-ment
Origin
Latin (ornamentum, decoration)
Length
139 words · 1 min read
About Ornament
Ornaments embellish a melody with additional notes that are not essential to the harmonic or rhythmic structure. Common ornaments include the trill (rapid alternation between adjacent notes), mordent (single alternation), turn (a four-note figure around the main note), appoggiatura (a "leaning" note that resolves by step), and acciaccatura (a crushed grace note).
More performance terms
Senza sordino
View all performanceterms →Without mute — removing the mute or, on piano, using the sustain pedal freely
PhrasingThe way a performer shapes a musical sentence by controlling dynamics, timing, and articulation to convey its structure.
ArticulationThe manner in which individual notes are attacked, sustained, and released.
SoloA passage for a single performer, with or without accompaniment.
Tre cordeRelease the soft pedal, allowing hammers to strike all three strings
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →