Acciaccatura is a musical ornament—an extremely short, crushed grace note played just before the main note. It’s typically not counted in the measure’s rhythm, executed quickly and lightly, as a decorative flick that adds sparkle. The term comes from Italian, reflecting its baroque-era origins and its role in expressive, virtuosic passagework.
"The violinist added an acciaccatura before the long F, giving the phrase a glittering lift."
"In the printed score, the acciaccatura is marked with a small note and a slash, indicating its fleeting nature."
"She executed the acciaccatura with such precision that the melody remained perfectly legato."
"The pianist’s acciaccatura complemented the main theme, creating a brief, sparkling contrast."
Acciaccatura derives from Italian acciaccare, meaning to crush or press down, with the diminutive -atura forming a noun that conveys a small, crushed action. The root acciacc- traces to Latin ad- + acciacuere (to crush), evolving through Italian musical usage in the Baroque period to denote a rapid, crushed grace note preceding a principal note. The word entered English through music literature and score annotations in the 17th–18th centuries, aligning with similar Italian musical terms like acciaccatura (the lighter, brief grace note) and mordent. Over time, the usage broadened across Western classical repertoire, retaining its specialized sense of a brief, ornamental preceding note that is typically ornamented with a slash to indicate its fleeting nature. First known English attestations appear in early music treatises and score collections, reflecting its adoption by performers seeking precise articulation of ornamentation conventions in performances from Baroque to Romantic repertories. Today, acciaccatura remains a staple notation for fast, ornamental notes that must not disturb the inner voice leading, demanding both technical precision and subtle dynamic release from performers.
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Words that rhyme with "Acciaccatura"
-ura sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronunciation centers on a stressed, multi-syllabic rhythm: ac-ci-ac-cu-ra-ta. In IPA for US: /ˌætʃ (or ˌä- depending on speaker) - kiˈa- kə-ˈtʃu̞ː rə tə/; but standard reference is /ˌætʃiˈæk.kəˌtjuːˈrɑː.tə/ in careful articulation. Stress falls on the middle syllable of the root (cca), with four to five syllables total depending on accent. Think: a-ccia-ccatu-ra-ta, with the “ccia” sounding like chi-ya in Italian-derived English renderings. For audio reference, check a reliable pronunciation database or instrument-focused tutorials; you’ll hear the quick, light first two syllables leading into the main, longer final syllables. Practice by breaking into syllables: ac-ciac-cu-ra-ta, then smooth to ac-ciac-cu-ra-ta, and finally run it fluidly before the main note.
Common errors: overemphasizing the final -ta or -tura, producing a heavy, syllabic ending; flattening the mid sections into a flat ‘a’ vowel; and misplacing stress, rushing the critical
In US English, you’ll hear a tamer vowel in -a- and a lighter /t/ when the pattern falls before a consonant cluster; UK speakers may preserve a crisper Italianate 'ch' sound in 'acci' and a clearer final -tu-ra. Australian tends to be flatter with reduced vowel height in the -a- and shorter final -ta. IPA references: US /ˌæ.t͡ʃi.æ.kəˈtjuː.rə.tə/; UK /ˌæ.t͡ʃi.æ.kəˈtjʊː.rə.tə/; AU /ˌæˈt͡ʃi.æ.kəˈtjuː.rə.tə/.
The difficulty comes from the Italian roots and rapid four- to five-syllable sequence with a cluster of consonants (cc, t, r) and the stress pattern before the final -ra-tə. The blend of /k/ and /t͡sj/ sequences, plus the light, quick delivery required before the main note, makes it tricky to maintain even tempo while keeping each vowel distinct. Focus on the central -ac- and -cu- transitions, and aim for a light, almost whispered onset before the main accent.
This term specifies a fleeting crushed grace note before a principal tone. The word’s cadence implies brevity and precision: it’s not just a decorative tone; it’s an ultra-short ornament that must not tax the main melody. The phonetic challenge reflects its musical precision: a light, quick onset on ac-ciac- and a rapid release into the main beat. Emphasizes the concept of speed and subtlety in both pronunciation and performance.
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