Mordent
A quick single alternation with a neighbour — a small fold
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A mordent is a quick single alternation between the principal note and a neighbour: main–neighbour–main, a small fold. The neighbour above makes an upper mordent, below a lower mordent (once called inverted); different wavy signs distinguish them.
It differs from a trill: a trill alternates many times, a mordent usually once. The usual mistake is to play it as fast as possible — the point is a clear fold, not speed; played blurry it is only noise.
Read deeper → ornaments
Sources
- 波音的两种方向与记谱，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Mordent"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.