Schneller (inverted mordent)

Three notes in one beat

The schneller ornaments a single note. It begins with the main note, leaps to the upper neighbour, a step above in the scale, and returns to the main note. The time the note has in the notation is divided so that the first two notes are very short. The last note is then the main note, which stays.

In the glossary: Trill · Mordent · Grace note

Distinctions

• Trill: it alternates with the upper neighbour over the whole note length. The schneller is a shortened trill and has only one alternation.
• Mordent: it goes to the lower neighbour instead of the upper: main note – lower neighbour – main note.
• Grace note: it comes before the main note. The schneller begins on the main note itself.

The figure enlivens single notes and gives melodies an edge without holding up the flow. It is found above all in 18th-century music, especially on strong beats and at the starts of motifs.

Inconsistent terms

The terminology is not fixed. The words Pralltriller and schneller are not used uniformly in textbooks and editions; in present-day usage both mostly mean the same figure. Anyone consulting a historical source should check which meaning it assumes. The same sign also denotes a short trill in other contexts, so that the context decides the execution.