Part two

MELODIC EMBELLISHMENTS (MELISMAS)

Embellishment of melodies by different melodies is a specific feature of the Eastern music, especially Azerbaijani one. While embellishing, it is necessary to give up all kinds of conventional signs, and write all the notes in small print. An ordinary embellishment consists of rapid succession of two notes. The first of them is a main note, the second one is an upper auxiliary.

If main and auxiliary notes form the interval of the major second, the auxiliary note is lowered for a semitone in order to achieve a good effect, for example:

Very often the second embellishing note is not an auxiliary one, but the upper third of the main note.

This method of embellishment is convenient especially while performing on keyed-musical instruments.
Trills are also in practice, as embellishments.

In improvisations the sounds are embellished by groups of notes (grouppetto).