Double appoggiatura
The double appoggiatura consists of two small, short notes before the main note. In German it was formerly also called “Anschlag”. How the two notes lie in relation to the main note is not described uniformly in the treatises.
- Structure
- two small notes before the main note
- Length
- short; whether before or on the beat is a question of style
- Position
- described inconsistently: from above and below, or at any intervals
- Related
- Schleifer
Two small notes
A grace note consists of one small note, a double appoggiatura of two. Both come before the main note and are played briefly. The main note then follows in time. In an old German treatise, C. P. E. Bach's “Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen”, a section of its own, “Von dem Anschlage”, deals with this ornament: the small notes bring in the second above or below the main note before it.
Double appoggiatura from above and below
Before each main note there are two small notes: the first lies a second above it, the second a second below.
Double appoggiatura at wider intervals (bass clef)
Here the intervals are wider: the small notes form thirds and lead to the main note from above. Such figures too are called a double appoggiatura.
How do the two notes lie?
Here the descriptions differ. One reading requires the first note at any distance and the second one step away from the main note. Another describes two small notes “at any intervals”. The second example follows the wide version.
Double appoggiatura, turn and Schleifer
The turn is a figure with a sign, in which the main note itself is included. The Schleifer consists of two or three small notes that lead to the main note in one direction. The distinction is not sharp in the literature.
Common mistakes
- Playing both notes as loudly as the main note: They are a lead-in, not the main thing.
- Shifting the rhythm: The main note keeps its place.
- Reading the position too rigidly: Depending on style and source, different intervals are possible.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
Grace noteAcciaccaturaAppoggiaturaSchleiferTurnNachschlagMordent
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
← Back to the glossary