Ornaments

WHAT IS ORNAMENT?
Notes are added to a melodic line as a purpose of decoration. Just like a vase decorated with flowers.

THE HISTORY....
Music in the early days was often written as a skelaton of the melody, where the performer was expected to provide the improvisation to make the tune more interesting. In the 15th century, composers began to write in the ornaments as a guide to the player. Toward the end of the 17th century, most music was written exactly as it was to be played. By the Romantic period, a performer was not allowed to put in any of his own ornaments.

WHY ORNAMENTS?
The use of embellishments will make your performance more interesting and give you a chance to dazzle your audience with your brilliant execution. In the old days, if a player jazzed up pieces with his grand executions, the fun-loving listeners of the day would want him rewarded but if he went too far in his executions, the fun-loving audience would want him executed or at least censured for his exhibition of bad taste.



PLEASE MAKE SURE WHEN YOU PLAY ORNAMENTS,....
Don't change the timing of the piece just to fit an ornament in. For example, a trill on a quarter note in 4/4 time lasts exactly one beat no matter if it is played in sixteenths, thirtyseconds or triplets.