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grace note

grace note

1 7.5
A very short decorative note played quickly before a main note
  • noun
  • /ɡreɪs noʊt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nota de adorno
  • Catherine's right hand leapfrogged over her hand and played the low G and its grace note.
  • add a grace note

Examples

  • It's all about the grace notes, Odette.

  • It happened twice in the piece. Em knew when it was coming again, and this time, she had already decided, swinging her legs back and forth under the piano bench. The next time Catherine's hand swooped down on that low G with its fairy grace note that she could play perfectly well herself, she would move her own hand the slightest bit and make her sister miss.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • It's always the attention to detail and the little grace notes that really make something sing.

  • I thought that including it would add a grace note to the next album.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Subtle grace note before the third.

  • The director can demonstrate multiple melodic variations for the students, whether it is turning a quarter note into two swing eighth notes, changing a downbeat to an upbeat, or adding a grace note to an entrance.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The musician added a grace note to the melody, giving it an elegant touch.

  • During the performance, several grace notes enhanced the emotional impact of the song.

  • In her piano solo, she skillfully incorporated grace notes that captivated the audience.

Synonyms

appoggiatura
vsgrace note
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A short note played before a main note that takes some time from it

is decorative and does not reduce the main note's time
acciaccatura
vsgrace note
  • Specialized
9.9

A very short note played quickly before a main note in music

is decorative and often not played as quickly

How Ornamental

cadenza
  • Specialized
1 9.9
flourish
2 7.3
grace note
  • Specialized
1 7.5
passing tone
  • Specialized
7.8

Surface Forms

grace note singular
grace notes plural

Morphology

grace + note

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'grace' (to adorn/embellish) with 'note' (a musical pitch), yielding an ornamental or decorative musical note. This compositional pattern is straightforward and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

The musical term grace note comes from the idea of a very small, quick note added like a little decoration to the main tune. The word grace suggests a gentle, elegant touch and the tiny note plays just before or on a main note, so the phrase means 'a short, decorative musical note'.