What are the melodies in music: forshlag, mordent, gruppetto, trill

What is melisma in music

Music is the art of the beauty of sound. In most music, melody prevails over the accompaniment. The expressiveness of the melodic line, smoothness or spasmodicity, timbre - all this sets the mood and image of the composition. Melisms help to enrich the melody, make it brighter, more prominent and more elegant. What is the melisma and ornamentation? Where did these terms come from? What are the signs to refer to the Melismas and how to decipher? You will learn about this on this page.

What is ornamentation and melisma?

The term "ornamentation" is derived from the Latin ornamentum. The word is translated into Russian as decoration. In musical practice, ornaments include a variety of ways to decorate the melody with the help of auxiliary tones. Additional figures are called ornamentation, these include:

• figurations - a method of texture processing of musical material, a variation method of development;
• grace (lane bloom) - virtuoso passages of small durations;
• passages - gamma movement;
• tiraty - fast on execution gamma-shaped passage. The term is more characteristic of vocal art, although it is often found in professional instrumental music.

Melisma - This is a musical term that combines small musical decorations. This designation occurs in both vocal and instrumental music. Melisma differ in the duration of the sound, the complexity of the performance.

The main melodies used in classical music are considered to be:

• short forshlag;
• long forshlag;
• mordent;
• groupeto;
• trill;
• arpeggios.

Music has a peculiar language, so it is not surprising that melismas represent a kind of abbreviations that require decoding. Such a need to create special characters appeared solely to save time. Consider each of the Melismas separately.

Forschlag: notation, how to play

From the German language is translated as a blow before the note. This melodic decoration can consist of one or several sounds. Foreshlag precedes one of the melody sounds. It is important to bear in mind that in relation to rhythm, melism is included in the count of the duration to which it is attached. Typically, the designation is a small note or note that is set on top of the melody or chord note. According to the duration there are two types: short and long. In contrast to the short, the length of the long forshlag almost always takes half or a third of the main note. It is extremely rare. Look at the picture and listen to the sound of a short forshlag and the sound of a long forshlag.

"short forshlag"

"short forshlag 2"

"long forshlag"

"a long Forshlag 2 "

Rules of the game forshlag:

1. Play a fast note quickly.
2. Choose the right fingering. It is advisable to use adjacent fingers.
3. Movement should be smooth, sliding.
4. Emphasis must be placed on the main note.

Mordent: notation, how to play

Mordants are divided into single or double. In this case, they can be crossed or simple. Indicated as a sharp wavy line.

A simple single mordent represents the chanting of the main sound from above. In this case, the duration is crushed. Listen to how this piece sounds.

"mordent single not crossed"

A crossed out single mordent is a charding of the main sound from below.

"mordent single crossed"

Double mordent is twice as long as single. At the same time, it should be executed at the expense of the main note, that is, it should not be engaged in time longer than the specified duration. Listen to how the crossed out and simple double mordent sounds.

"double mordent"

"double mordent crossed"

Gruppetto: notation, how to play

Gruppetto stands for a group of notes consisting of a gradual chanting of the main sound. So if the gruppetto sign stands above the “before” note, then it will be deciphered as “re”, “do”, “si”, “do”. Where re and s will be introductory tones. This figure is performed within the main duration.

Listen to how gruppetto sounds:

gruppetto

Trill: designation how to play

According to the technique of execution, the trill is one of the most virtuosic and complex techniques. It is a quick alternation of neighboring notes, reminiscent of nightingale trills. Indicated as a combination of the letters "tr" above the main note. Listen to how this decoration sounds:

"trill"

You need to play the trill as follows:

1. No need to rush when you play a sequence of notes in a trill for the first time.
2. Transfer weight from one finger to another;
3. Watch for evenness of sound;
4. Play slowly until you feel the freedom to move;
5. Gradually accelerate the pace until you bring it to the required speed.

It is important that the trill be smooth and not violate the overall metrhythm in the composition.

Arpeggios: designation how to play

This technique is typical primarily for the performance of chords, at least for intervals. Most often used for instruments like piano, harp, guitar or string group instruments. It is indicated by a curly vertical line along the entire chord. Sounds are played from bottom to top in fast sequential motion. Listen to how the chord sounds, played with arpeggio reception.

"arpeggio"

How to learn to play arpeggios:

1. Pick a comfortable fingering;
2. Slowly play a chord sound sequence;
3. Observe the evenness of the rhythm;
4. Gradually speed can be increased;
5. Make sure that the shoulders are not raised, as this indicates clamps.
6. Movements must be quick and agile.

It is important that the hand is not clamped during the performance. The brush should be free, you must strive for the upper chord sound.

Ornamental history

When the music was born, then there was a desire to make the motive more diverse with interesting turns. Gradually, when the musical notation was established, when musical art was canonized, then the countdown in the history of ornamentation began. The fact is that many of the revolutions became not only part of the improvisation, but also certain symbols that were often written by composers.

The use of melismas in both instrumental and vocal music gained particular popularity in the Baroque era. Music in the period from the XVI-XVIII century was filled with elegant decorations. In many of the works of Bach you can find mordents and trills.

At that time, the genre of "concert" prevailed. The genre features include the moment of competition, in the solo cadence the performer had to demonstrate not only virtuosity and brilliant mastery of the instrument, but also an individual musical style. The appropriate use of melismas helped to add to the music liveliness, character, and also showed the ability of the musician to skillful improvisation.

In vocal music, especially in Italian opera, ornamentation was given a strong meaning. Singers must have mastered the tricks that help them to sing the grace.

Countless ornamental and exquisite works can be found in the Rococo era. The abundance of melismas prevails in the works of French harpsichordists Francois Couperin and Jean Philippe Rameau.

Melismatics also found active use in the music of romanticism. In the piano miniatures of Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, melismas helped to color the melody, to make it more soulful and touching.

In modern music you can also hear melisma. So in jazz and blues, musicians often use forshlags and trills. These decorations are especially characteristic of improvisations.