mordenter

Mordenter is a term used in music theory to denote a small, fast ornament applied to a single note. The standard mordent involves a rapid alternation between the main note and the note immediately below it, returning to the main note. The effect is a quick, biting embellishment that fits within the value of the written note.

An inverted mordent, sometimes called an upper mordent or pralltriller in German sources, uses the upper neighbor rather than the lower one: main - upper neighbor - main. Some editions realize the two forms differently, but the general idea is the same: a brief lift away from the main pitch, then back.

Notation and execution: In modern notation, mordents are shown by a short squiggly line placed above the note; inverted mordents may be indicated by the same sign, occasionally with a vertical stroke through it to distinguish the upper form. In performance, the exact timing depends on style and tempo; in Baroque practice it often occupies the value of the main note or a portion of it.

History and usage: Mordents appear in 16th–17th century Italian and German treatises and became common in Baroque and Classical repertoire for keyboard, lute, and violin. They are treated differently by composers; in some editions, the exact notes of the ornament may be left to performer choice.

Terminology: The plural form mordenter is found in some languages for the notes of this ornament group; writers may refer to individual instances as mordent.