Flute Techniques: Part 3 Turns

In music, a turn is an ornament/embellishment. These are musical flourishes (added notes) that are not essential to carry the overall line of the melody (or harmony), but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line, provide added interest and variety, and give the performer the opportunity to add expressiveness to a song or piece.

The music that I play today rarely consists of turns. So I lack the ability to do turns due to the lack of practicing them, even though it's a simple topic. Even though they rarely appear, it is a good technique to learn about in order to become a better musician.


What to play based on where a turn is located:

• To the right of the note - the principal tone is held (almost to full value), then the turn is played just before the next melody tone.
• Between a dotted note and another note having the same value as the dot - the turn is played with the last note of the turn taking the place of the dot, making two notes of the same value. The turn sign after a dotted note will indicate that one melody note lies hidden in the dot.
• Over a note - the tones are usually played quickly, and the fourth tone is then held until the time value of the note has expired.

(Gower and Voxman 64)

(Left to right) Turn, Inverted Turn (2)

Whenever you play your instrument, it

is good to have a comfortable posture

which will help produce quality sound.

The Turn

"The turn consists of four tones: the next scale tone above the principal tone, the principal tone itself, the tone below the principal tone, and the principal tone again." (Gower and Voxman 64)

Inverted Turn

"In the inverted turn, the order of tones is reversed, the lowest one coming first, the principal next, the highest third and the principal tone again, last." (Gower and Voxman 64)

What do you guys think about the idea of the turn (inverted or not)? Do you think that it is beneficial towards the whole piece? Why or why not?