Chute
A Baroque ornament: an appoggiatura falling into the main note from above, similar to the long appoggiatura.
What it means
The chute (French for “fall”) is an ornament common around 1700 in which the main note is approached from a higher pitch, like a short, descending appoggiatura. It essentially matches what was later called the long appoggiatura from above: the ornamental note takes up part of the main note's value and is played on the beat before resolving to the actual note.
In the notation
Contemporary sources usually indicated the chute with a small note or its own sign above or before the main note; the exact notation varies between composers and sources, so ornament tables from the relevant works or schools should be consulted.
Musical use
The chute belongs to the rich ornament vocabulary of French Baroque keyboard and vocal music, as documented in ornament tables by harpsichord composers. It should be distinguished from the Nachschlag, which sounds after the main note, and from the turn, which consists of several notes around the main note.
Performance practice
When you play a chute, take a moment on the beat for the falling ornamental note before resolving it into the main note — resolving too quickly robs the ornament of its characteristic falling gesture.