MORDENT (Ital. Mordente; Ger. Mordent, also Beisser; Fr. Pincé). One of the most important of the agrémens or graces of instrumental music. It consists of the rapid alternation of a written note with the note immediately below it.
Mordents are of two kinds, the Simple or Short Mordent, indicated by the sign , and consisting of three notes, the lower or auxiliary note occurring but once, and the Double or Long Mordent, the sign for which is , in which the auxiliary note...