Appoggiatura
DEFINITION
The word “appoggiatura” comes from the Italian word “appoggiare” which means “to lean upon”. In music appoggiatura is a musical ornament that indicates a note be played (usually) one semi-tone up from the principal note of a chord. This embellishment lands on the beat, then quickly resolves to a regular note in the chord. The appoggiatura is often used to express emotional "yearning". It is also called a long appoggiatura to distinguish it from the short appoggiatura, the acciaccatura. An ascending appoggiatura was previously known as a forefall, while a descending appoggiatura was known as a backfall.<br><br>Before an even or unaltered note, the appoggiatura generally receives its face value, that is one-half the value of the note that follows; before a dotted note it receives more than its face value, that is to say that it should be given two-thirds of the value of the following note. If the note is of the same pitch as the principal note of the appoggiatura, the grace note receives the entire value of its principal note, but is carried to the next note with strong portamento.<br><br>Chiefly an 18th-century practice.<br>