Trilling

Trilling is the production of a rapid, regular variation in a sound or pitch. The term is used across disciplines to describe phenomena that involve vibration or repetition of a unit against a closely related one, such as a musical ornament, a phonetic consonant, or a bird’s vocalization.

In music, a trill is an ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, typically the main note and the note above. It is notated with a trill symbol or the letters “trill,” and performers may also indicate the desired length, speed, and number of alternations. Execution varies by period and instrument: keyboard players rely on rapid finger alternation; string players create the effect with fast finger motion on adjacent pitches; wind and brass players achieve the effect through precise lip or tongue articulation. Trills often begin on the upper auxiliary note, with tempo and style guiding their speed and duration.

In phonetics, a trill is a consonant produced by a sustained, rapid vibration of an articulator. Common examples include the alveolar trill [r], the bilabial trill [B], and the uvular trill [ʀ]. Trills are phonemic in many languages (such as Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese) and can vary in duration and intensity. Some speakers may substitute a tap, approximant, or fricative in dialects or language contact situations.

In biology and acoustics, “trill” describes a rapid series of notes or a vibrating sound in animal vocalizations, such as certain birds’ songs, and can also refer to mechanical sounds produced by vibrating components.