NACHSCHLAG NOTES
When doing research translating Nachschlag from German into English, I came up with a few theories about how the word relates to the character of the ornament.
In German, Nachschlag means “second helping.”
If you put a space between nach and schlag, it means “after strike.” It is also interesting to note, that when adding the letter ‘e’ to the end of the word, nachschlage means “looking up.” And, even more intriguing is that if you place a space between nach and schlag(e) it means “to suggest.”
As you know by now, I enjoy presenting theories about how music elements came about and the origins of their names. Here is my theory.
- leave and frequently replay the main pitch — second helping.
- occur after the main note is sounded — after strike.
- often lead up to the following pitch — looking up.
- direct attention to the arrival of the next pitch — to suggest.
Nachschlag notes:
Nachschlag notes most often appear as a group of 2 pitches at the end of trilled notes.
Nachschlag velocity is determined by tempo and can be quite rapid.
The span of time needed to perform nachschlag notes, is taken from the duration of the main note and the timing of the next pitch is not affected.
