turn explained
An ornament consisting of four notes: the note above, the main note, the note below, and the main note again
In Depth
The turn (gruppetto) is a graceful four-note figure that decorates a single pitch by circling around it. When the turn symbol appears above a note, the ornament begins immediately; when it appears between two notes, the turn occurs during the transition. Turns can be modified by accidentals placed above or below the symbol to indicate chromatic alterations. The turn was one of the most common ornaments in Classical-era music, adding elegance to melodic lines without disrupting the phrase structure.
Chopin's nocturnes contain some of the most elaborate turns in the piano literature, stretching the four-note formula into flowing melodic garlands.