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How to Write a Turn in Music

The turn is a sequence of four musical notes, consisting of the note above, the note itself, the note below, and finally the note itself again. It is considered a musical ornament, and the notes are not written out. Instead they are played in fast succession, ornamenting the base note. As Bach discusses at length in his work, "Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu Spielen", the turn is a free ornament; the only rule is the shape of the note sequence.

Instructions

    • 1

      Notate the base note on the staff. This is the note that the turn ornaments and which will be played twice during the turn.

    • 2

      Imagine an S, written backwards and then turned 90 degrees counterclockwise.

    • 3

      Draw this backwards and laying-down S over the base note, above the staff. The turn in printed music is a little flatter and more elongated than the written S, but any musician will be able to understand the symbol, even if it doesn't look perfect.

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