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
A Cappella
View all performanceterms →Singing without instrumental accompaniment.
FlautandoProduce a flute-like tone by bowing lightly near the fingerboard
BowingThe technique of drawing a bow across the strings of an instrument to produce sustained sound.
Una cordaDepress the left pedal on a piano to soften the tone
OrdinarioReturn to normal playing technique after a special instruction
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →