Trill
A rapid alternation between two adjacent notes
"Trill" is a musical ornamentation technique distinguished by the rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, resulting in swift pitch variations that contribute depth and emotional expression to musical passages.
In the execution of a trill, musicians typically engage in the rapid oscillation between two neighboring notes, causing their pitch to swiftly fluctuate. This technique is adept at generating fast and continuous pitch variation effects between different notes. The speed and intensity of a trill can be tailored to achieve a spectrum of musical effects, spanning from brisk and robust trills to gentle, slower ones.
In most instances, the notes within a trill are played with brevity, resembling grace notes, and produce an effect akin to "vibrato". However, trills particularly emphasize the dynamic alternation between the primary note and the auxiliary note.
The trill technique introduces distinctive musical embellishments, imparting vibrancy and heightened expressiveness to the music. It serves purposes such as emphasizing specific notes, enriching the musical texture, crafting captivating melodic variations, and intensifying the emotional and dynamic elements of the composition. Furthermore, this technique is a versatile tool capable of conveying a range of emotions, including the creation of tension within the music.
Example of Trill
Terminology Information
Vocabulary Category
Related Terms
Dictionary
Other Terms
Tutor's Video (Frankie Chan)
Tutors
Articles
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.
G Song by Terry Riley
