Trillers

Trillers are musicians who perform trills, rapid alternations between two adjacent pitches, typically within a sustained note. The term can refer to the ornament itself as well as to the performer who executes it. In practice, trillers may vary according to period, instrument, and performance tradition, ranging from brief embellishments to extended cadential shakes.

Notation and execution are central to the role of a triller. Trills are usually indicated by the symbol “tr” and can include a specified ending or cadence. The conventional starting pitch is often the upper neighbor, though historical and stylistic factors may alter this starting point. The speed and length of the trill depend on tempo, phrasing, and the musical context, and some editions or traditions prescribe particular endings or repetitions to conclude the trill.

Historically, trillers have been prominent in Baroque and Classical music, where ornament tables and treatises described the appropriate use and execution of shakes and trills. In the Baroque era, trills were frequently integrated into melodic lines as expressive devices, while in the Classical and Romantic periods composers refined conventions for trill length and cadences. Over time, differing national styles and editors produced varied practices, and modern performers often adapt trill conventions to fit instrument, tuning, and interpretive goals.

In contemporary performance, the technique of a trill differs by instrument. String players use rapid finger alternation on the string, wind players rely on breath and embouchure or fingerings, and keyboard players execute rapid alternation between the written note and its upper neighbor. Vocalists and singers may employ trills as rhythmic or timbral ornaments, especially in coloratura lines or cadential passages. See also trill (music) for broader context.