appoggiatura
A grace note that takes time from the following main note, creating a brief dissonance.
In Depth
The appoggiatura is a type of grace note that leans on the main note, taking a significant portion of its time value — usually half. Written as a small note without a slash through the stem, it creates a moment of expressive dissonance before resolving smoothly into the main note.
In Baroque and Classical music, appoggiaturas were often expected even when not written out. Singers in Mozart's operas, for example, routinely add appoggiaturas at cadences. The name comes from the Italian appoggiare, meaning to lean, and the ornament adds emotional weight and elegance to melodic lines.
A 2012 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that appoggiaturas are a key musical device for triggering tears and chills in listeners.