ornament
A decorative musical figure added to a melody, such as a trill, mordent, or turn.
In Depth
Ornaments are the musical equivalent of embroidery — decorative additions that enhance a melodic line without changing its fundamental structure. The main ornaments include trills, mordents, turns, grace notes, and appoggiaturas. Each has its own notation symbol and execution rules that vary by period and style.
In Baroque music, ornamentation was expected even when not written out — performers were trained to add tasteful embellishments based on convention. The French tradition developed particularly elaborate ornament tables (tables d'agréments). By the Classical era, composers began writing out ornaments more explicitly, leaving less to the performer's discretion.
Baroque singers were so famous for their ornamental improvisation that some arias were barely recognisable on the repeat — the singer would change nearly every note while keeping the underlying harmony.