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13.5: Appoggiatura

  • Page ID
    258554
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    The appoggiatura is abbreviated with a lowercase "app" in parenthesis and looks like: (app).

    Key Featuressilhouette of a person jumping in front of a sunset

    • An appoggiatura is approached by a leap (larger than a second) and left by a step in the opposite direction
    • Appoggiaturas and escape tones are generally described as being "incomplete neighbors"
    • Appoggiaturas are often accented and in a strong metrical position

    Examples

    In this example of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major (K. 279), Mozart uses a number of embellishing techniques. Solid examples of appoggiaturas can be found in measures six and seven.

    In measure six, on beats three and four we have the chord of G major: G, B, and D. The C-sharp in the treble voice is a non-chord tone. It is approached by a descending third from the previous note, E, and sounds in a strong metrical position on beat three and lasts for the entire duration of the beat. The non-chord tone is left by a step in the opposite direction. This is a chromatic, metrical, appoggiatura.

    In measure seven, on beats three and four we have the chord of C major: C, E, and G. The D-sharp in the treble voice is a non-chord tone. It is approached by a descending third from the previous note, F, and sound in a strong metrical position on beat three and lasts for the entire duration of the beat. The non-chord tone is left by a step in the opposite direction. This is also a chromatic, metrical, appoggiatura.

    First six measures of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 1 showing appoggiaturas in m. 6-7

    Attribution:

    Leaping image by Johannes Krasser from Pixabay

    Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Sonata No. 1 in C Major, K. 279. Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, Serie IX, Werkgruppe 25, Klaviersonaten, Band 1 [NMA IX/25/1] (pp.2-13). Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1986. Plate BA 4600. Public Domain.


    This page titled 13.5: Appoggiatura is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lauren C. Sharkey.

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