mordent

American  

[mawr-dnt] / ˈmɔr dnt /

Or mordant

noun

Music.

1. a melodic embellishment consisting of a rapid alternation of a principal tone with the tone a half or a whole step below it, called single or short when the auxiliary tone occurs once and double or long when this occurs twice or more.

2. inverted mordent.

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mordent British  

/ ˈmɔːdənt /

noun

1. Also called: lower mordent.  music a melodic ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of a note with a note one degree lower than it

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Etymology

Origin of mordent

1800–10; < German < Italian mordente biting < Latin mordent-, stem of mordēns, present participle of mordēre to bite; see -ent

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mordent

In the case of both mordent and double-mordent the tones are sounded as quickly as possible, the time taken by the embellishment being subtracted from the value of the principal note as printed.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Karl Wilson Gehrkens

The mordent consists of three tones; first the one represented by the printed note; second the one next below it in the diatonic scale; third the one represented by the printed note again.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Karl Wilson Gehrkens

Pg 71 The accent ought to lie upon the first note of the mordent, but you should not make a triplet of it by occupying the whole quarter with its execution.

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Josef Hofmann

And he tightened his arms round her, happy once more for a mordent in this environment of a perfect love.

From Robert Elsmere by Mrs. Humphry Ward

I have heard the mordent sound like a triplet?

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Josef Hofmann