Herordent

Herordent is a term found in Baroque-era music theory describing a short, trill-like ornament applied to a single note. The word appears in German-language treatises and in some English sources, but its exact meaning has varied over time, leading to confusion with related figures such as mordents and turns.

Because there is no single authoritative prescription, the realization of a herordent differs by source. In many descriptions it is treated as a rapid, three- or four-note figure built around the main note and one of its neighbors, resembling a compact mordent or inverted mordent. Some authorities describe it as involving the lower neighbor, while others treat it as a quick alternation that emphasizes the upper neighbor or as a more elaborate neighbor-to-neighbor sequence. In practice, editors and performers may render the ornament differently depending on the period, composer, or edition consulted.

Notationally, a herordent is typically indicated by a small ornament sign in music of the 17th and 18th centuries, often appearing alongside other signs for mordents, turns, and pralltrillers. Because terminology was not standardized, the same symbol could be interpreted in more than one way across sources.

Historically, the term is encountered primarily in German and Italian keyboard and organ literature from the Baroque era. In modern scholarship, it is usually described in relation to its close kin—the mordent and the inverted mordent—and performers are advised to consult period sources specific to a piece to determine the intended execution.