Nachschlag

techniquesNAHKH-shlahgfrom German

An ornamental note or group of notes that follows and decorates the main note, essentially the rever‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌se of a grace note.

In Depth

The Nachschlag (German for "after-strike") is an ornamental figure placed at the end of a note rather than at the beginning.‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‌‌ Where a grace note (Vorschlag) leads into its main note, the Nachschlag trails after it, typically filling the time between the main note and the next. It most commonly appears as the two small notes that terminate a trill, smoothly connecting the trilled note to the following pitch. In Baroque performance practice, the Nachschlag at the end of a trill was expected even when not written out, and its exact execution varied by national style — French trills typically ended with a specific two-note termination (the "turned ending"), while Italian practice was more flexible. The concept is important in historical performance practice, where understanding when and how to add Nachschläge (plural) is essential for authentic interpretation of music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Did you know?

The great Baroque flutist Johann Joachim Quantz devoted several pages of his 1752 treatise to the proper execution of Nachschläge, considering them essential to good taste.

Related Terms

ornament trill grace note baroque

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