Turn

What it is

A turn is an ornament that circles around the main note. In its standard form it plays the note above, the main note, the note below, and the main note again, in quick succession. The left hand section covers the rest of this group.

Written on C, a standard turn plays D, C, B, C.

The Italian gruppetto, meaning a small group, is used interchangeably. The symbol is a horizontal S shape, sometimes described as looking like a sideways letter S.

Standard and inverted

The standard turn goes above first: upper note, main note, lower note, main note.

The inverted turn goes below first: lower note, main note, upper note, main note. Written C, it plays B, C, D, C. The symbol is the same S rotated vertically, or the standard symbol with a vertical line through it, depending on the edition.

As with mordents, terminology varies between sources and the symbol is more reliable than the name.

Where the symbol sits

This determines the rhythm and it is the most practically important detail. The metronome on this site is worth having open while you practise this.

Directly above the note head. The turn begins at the start of the note, occupying the beginning of its value. The main note sounds after the ornament completes.

After the note head, between it and the next note. The main note sounds first for most of its value, and the turn happens near the end, leading into the next note.

The second placement is very common in Classical and Romantic repertoire and produces a completely different rhythmic effect from the first. Reading the placement correctly is essential.

The intervals

The upper and lower notes are the diatonic neighbours within the prevailing key.

Accidentals written above or below the symbol alter them. An accidental above affects the upper note; one below affects the lower.

This is a common source of error. Students apply the accidental to the wrong neighbour, or to the main note, and the ornament comes out wrong.

How it is produced

The four notes are played quickly and evenly, with the fingers moving cleanly between them.

Speed depends on tempo and note value. A turn on a long note at a slow tempo can be relatively leisurely. A turn on a short note in a fast passage must be very quick.

The rhythm within the turn is usually even, though some performance traditions lengthen the first note slightly.

The hand stays in position throughout. A turn spanning a wide interval may require a small extension, but the frame should not collapse.

What goes wrong

Wrong rhythmic placement. Reading a turn placed after the note as though it were placed above it, or the reverse. This changes the entire shape of the phrase.

Unevenness. The four notes come out with irregular spacing, usually because one finger is weaker than the others.

Wrong accidental application. Applying a marked accidental to the main note instead of a neighbour.

Too slow. The ornament becomes four melody notes rather than a decoration.

Disturbing the pulse. A turn that takes too long delays the following note and the phrase loses its shape.

The fourth finger. As always, turns involving the fourth finger are harder and often uneven.

Where you meet it

Common in Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire. Particularly frequent in Classical melodic writing, where turns are a standard part of the decorative vocabulary.

Students meet them at the intermediate to advanced level, usually after trills and mordents are established, since a turn requires more finger coordination than either.

Editions vary considerably in how turns are notated and whether they are written out. Some modern editions realise the ornament in small notes, which removes the ambiguity but also removes the player's interpretive latitude.

How it is taught

We begin by writing the ornament out, so the student sees exactly which four pitches are involved and in what order. Ornament symbols are abstract and many students execute them from vague memory rather than from understanding.

Then slowly, as four even notes.

Then at speed.

Then rhythmic placement, with both positions practised on the same passage so the difference is audible.

Then in repertoire, with attention to what the edition is telling you and what the period expects.

Turns in Classical melody

Turns are so common in Classical melodic writing that recognising them on sight becomes automatic for experienced players.

A great deal of Classical melody is built from a small vocabulary of decorated figures, and the turn is among the most frequent. Learning to read and execute them fluently unlocks a large amount of repertoire.

The rhythmic placement question matters most here, because Classical writing uses both placements freely and the resulting phrases feel entirely different.

Practising it

Write the ornament out first, in full, in the pitches it actually produces. Ornament symbols are compressed instructions and students frequently execute a vague approximation.

Then play it slowly as four even notes, then at tempo.

Then practise the same passage with the turn placed both ways, on the beat and late, so the difference is in the ear rather than only in theory.

Then check the accidental, if there is one, against which neighbour it modifies. This is the single most common written error in turn execution.

Reading about left-hand work like Turn is a start, and playing it with someone watching your hands is faster. We teach private and group violin lessons in Duluth, Buford and Roswell. Call 470-789-2422 or book a no-commitment evaluation lesson.