pralltriller means A melodic embellishment consisting of the quick alternation of a principal tone with an auxiliary tone above it, usually the next in the scale. It carries an Arena rating of 1672, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pralltriller ranks #126 of 13,276 for Most Satisfying to Say, #419 of 13,276 for Most Ingenious Words, #699 of 13,276 for Most Whimsical Words, #925 of 13,276 for Most Exacting Words.
Why “pralltriller” is a great word
PRALLTRILLER — [Noun] A melodic ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of a principal note with the auxiliary note immediately above it. Borrowed from German Pralltriller, from prallen (“to rebound, bounce”) + Triller (“trill”). Unlike a mordent, which dips to the note below, or a full trill, which unfolds in extended, shimmering oscillations, the Pralltriller is a swift, upward rebound. It is the bright, percussive flick of a harpsichord’s jack against its string, the single raindrop dancing once on a taut wire, the quick, involuntary intake of breath before a suppressed laugh—a small, contained explosion of grace that leaves a shimmering afterimage in the ear.
Etymology
Borrowed from German Pralltriller.
noun
- A melodic embellishment consisting of the quick alternation of a principal tone with an auxiliary tone above it, usually the next in the scale.“Coordinate term: mordent”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- appoggiatura 82% match — A type of musical ornament, falling on the beat, which often creates a suspension and subtracts for itself half the time value of the principal note which follows. vs pralltriller →
- tremolo 82% match — A rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. It can also be intended to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note. It is notated by a strong diagonal bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes). vs pralltriller →
- acciaccatura 81% match — A short grace note (theoretically taking no time at all), occurring on the beat occupied by the main note to which it is prefixed, one scale-step higher or lower than that main note. (Sometimes equivalent, therefore, to a short appoggiatura, but in Baroque music interpreted differently and more strictly.) Written as a note lighter in appearance, typically a quaver (eighth note), with an oblique stroke through the stem. vs pralltriller →
- spiccato 79% match — Detached; separated; with every note performed in a distinct and pointed manner. vs pralltriller →
- obbligato 79% match — An obbligato section; a prominent countermelody, often written to be played or sung above the principal theme (in a higher pitch range). vs pralltriller →
- scherzo 79% match — A piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony; especially, a piece of music played in a playful manner. vs pralltriller →
- arpeggio 78% match — The notes of a chord played individually instead of simultaneously, usually moving from lowest to highest. vs pralltriller →
- bisbigliando 78% match — Tremolo produced by a bowed or plucked string instrument such as a harp. vs pralltriller →