A musical ornament consisting of a note played briefly just before another note, creating a decorative embellishment.
From Italian acciaccare ('to crush or squash'). The term entered English in the 18th century from Italian music terminology, referring to the quick crushing or grace note effect.
The acciaccatura—literally meaning 'crushed note' in Italian—is exactly what it sounds like: a note so quick it's almost squashed into the next one, giving composers a way to add sparkle and sophistication with just a tiny sound.
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