Turn

DEFINITION

A turn, as played in music, is a flourish of added notes, similar to a trill. However, instead of alternating notes, like in a trill, a turn is a specific pattern that is played by first playing the note above the one that is written, then the written note, a note below the written note, then the written note again. The symbol for a turn is an S laying on it's side and is placed above the bar either directly over a note, or between them. The exact speed and performance of a turn is usually determined by it's context within the composition, and the style of the piece. A turn, trill, mordent, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, glissando and schleifer are all a class of musical embellishments called "ornaments".<br>