Music Composition DUMmIES

If we take a disjunct leap from a structural tone to a note neighboring the

next structural tone and then step to that tone, we have an appoggiatura, an

example of which is shown in Figure 8-7.

C. P. E. Bach (Carl Philipp Emanuel, son of J. S. Bach) was a great lover of

using the appoggiatura in his musical arrangements. He wrote a good deal of

theory-related material on what exactly should be the requirements for using

appoggiatura in music.

First of all, when a short appoggiatura is written —symbolically, as a small

note — it is ignored when summing up the time values in a bar, as seen in

Figure 8-8.

Second, the appoggiatura is always written on the left of a note, and is

slurred into a principal note — a note normally played on the beat. Third, the

appoggiatura is also always played on the beat, with the principal note fol-

lowing. Basically, the two notes are played almosttogether, with the appog-

giaturas slurring into the principal note quick enough that both notes carry

the beat.

Appoggiaturas are now more normally known as grace notes, meaning that

they’re extra notes that are “forgiven” for making a measure’s total note value

equal just a little more than allowed.

&

&

4

2

4

2

4

3

4

3

œ œjœ

1

œ œ œ

œ œjœ. œj

œ œ œ

œ

Figure 8-8:

Here

are two

examples

of short

appoggia-

turas.

&b 4

(^4) œ
œœœ œ
FBb
œ.
J
œœ œ
C Dm
̇ ̇
Bb C
̇ Ó
Dm
̇ ̇
Bb C
̇. Œ
F
Figure 8-7:
The
appoggia-
tura here is
in measure 2.
Chapter 8: Developing Your Melodies 83