What does mordent mean?
A mordent is a short musical ornament made by rapidly alternating a principal note with an adjacent note. It is most often performed as a lower mordent, touching the note immediately below the main note before returning to it; an upper mordent uses the note above instead. In notation, a mordent is commonly represented by a short trill sign with a vertical stroke through it. The effect is compact and decorative, adding movement and expression to a single note or brief figure without substantially altering the underlying melody. Mordents occur in keyboard, orchestral, and other instrumental music, especially Baroque repertoire. Unlike a trill, which may continue for a longer passage and is often used to sustain a note, a mordent is generally brief and sharply articulated. Its exact speed can vary by period, style, and performer, so historical performance practice may significantly affect how it sounds.
nounA musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between a principal note and the note immediately below or above it, usually indicated in notation by a short trill sign with a vertical stroke.
- A brief musical ornament in which a principal note alternates rapidly with the note directly below or above it.
"The pianist gave the final phrase a light mordent, briefly touching the note below before returning to the melody."
"The ornament begins with a mordent before the theme returns."
"In Baroque performance, a light lower mordent can give repeated notes a crisp, playful character."
Used when referring to several instances of the ornament, as in descriptions of ornamentation or analytical notation.
"The ornamentation includes mordents on the accented beats."
A mordent is the musical equivalent of a quick tap beside the main note—adding a flash of movement without changing the melody.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mordent
The word was borrowed from German Mordent, a diminutive related to Mord, meaning “bite.” Mord itself continues the Germanic word for biting and is cognate with Latin mordere, “to bite,” from which English forms such as mordant and mordacious also derive. The musical term entered English usage in the early 19th century to name a rapid ornamental alternation.
How mordent is actually used
The unqualified term commonly denotes a lower mordent, which alternates with the note below the principal note. An upper mordent alternates with the note above. Performers vary considerably in the speed and articulation of mordents.
Easily confused with mordent
A mordent is a brief, sharply executed alternation with an adjacent note, whereas a trill is a longer and often more elaborate rapid alternation between two notes.