The mordent
Example: The pianist added the mordent to enhance the baroque piece.
Definition
"The mordent" is a musical ornament that involves a rapid alternation between a principal note and the note immediately below or above it, used to embellish a melody and add expressiveness, especially common in Baroque and classical music styles.
Etymology
The term "the mordent" comes from the Italian word 'mordente,' meaning 'biting.' This reflects how the ornament 'bites' into the main note by quickly touching a neighboring note, adding a distinctive decorative effect to the music.
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"The mordent" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - Music - (C2) - set 1", containing 99 commonly used words.
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