What does appoggiatura mean?
An appoggiatura is a musical ornament: a grace note performed immediately before a principal note, from which it borrows time and emphasis before resolving into it. The name comes from the Italian verb appoggiare, meaning 'to lean', which captures the effect precisely — the ornament leans against the main note, creating a moment of tension or dissonance that then melts into consonance. Appoggiaturas may be long, taking a substantial portion of the main note's duration, or short, flicked off quickly before the beat. They are central to the expressive style of Baroque and Classical music, appearing throughout the vocal lines and keyboard works of composers such as Handel, Mozart, and Haydn, where they lend melodies a sighing, yearning quality. The term belongs chiefly to the vocabulary of musicians, theorists, and critics, but it surfaces in general writing whenever a melody's emotional pull is being described. It should not be confused with the acciaccatura, a much quicker 'crushed' grace note that barely delays the main note at all.
nounA grace note in music that is played before, and usually overlapping with, the principal note it ornaments, taking emphasis away from the main note before resolving into it.
- In music: an ornamental note, written as a small note or indicated by a slash, performed immediately before a principal note and normally resolving into it, temporarily displacing its emphasis.
"The pianist lingered on the appoggiatura, letting the dissonance melt into the melody's main note."
"Mozart's slow movements are full of expressive appoggiaturas that lean tenderly against the melodic line."
"She notated the appoggiatura carefully so the singer would delay the arrival of the main note by a beat."
The anglicized plural 'appoggiaturas' is standard in English; the Italian-style plural 'appoggiature' also appears in scholarly writing on historical performance practice.
"The score calls for a chain of descending appoggiaturas across the final cadence."
The word literally means 'a leaning' in Italian — an appoggiatura is a note that leans on the main note for support before letting go.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appoggiatura
Appoggiatura comes from the Italian verb appoggiare ('to lean' or 'to rest upon'), formed from the prefix ad- plus a base derived ultimately from the Greek pod- ('foot'), the same root that gives us podium and tripod. Adopted into European musical terminology during the Baroque era, it entered English usage in the 18th century as writers on performance practice codified the rules of ornamentation. Its Italian origin reflects Italy's dominance in early modern music theory, and related Romance terms survive in other languages' musical vocabulary.
How appoggiatura is actually used
A technical term used mainly in music theory, performance practice, and music criticism, especially in discussions of Baroque and Classical repertoire. In older notation the long appoggiatura was often written as a small note without a slash, while a slashed small note typically indicates the short variety; modern editions vary, so performers consult style guides when realizing ornaments.
Easily confused with appoggiatura
An acciaccatura is a very quick grace note crushed in just before the beat, whereas an appoggiatura is a longer leaning note that takes time and emphasis from the main note.