Appoggiatura

An appoggiatura (from the Italian 'appoggiare', meaning 'to lean') is an ornamental note that falls on the beat, temporarily displacing the main note and resolving to it stepwise — creating a characteristic lean-and-release gesture. Unlike a grace note or acciaccatura which is played quickly before the beat, a classical appoggiatura takes real rhythmic value, typically half the duration of the note it decorates. In Baroque and Classical music the appoggiatura was often written as a small note but expected to be performed with expressive weight, making it one of the most emotionally charged ornaments in music. At the piano, lean gently into the appoggiatura with slightly more weight than the resolution note, then release into the main note — think of it as a musical sigh.