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Ornaments – Definition
Ornaments are decorative musical figures that embellish a melody without changing its fundamental structure.
What are Ornaments?
Common ornaments include trills, mordents, turns, and grace notes. They are usually indicated by special symbols or small notes in the score and are performed quickly in relation to the surrounding notes.
Ornaments have been used throughout music history to add expression, character, and variety to melodies in both classical and contemporary styles.
How are Ornaments used in piano playing?
Pianists use ornaments to make melodies more expressive and stylistically authentic. They can add elegance, energy, or emphasis to a musical phrase without altering its basic harmonic structure.
Learning common ornaments helps pianists perform written music more accurately and develop a more expressive playing style.