ABSTRACT
The array of different ornament signs that French composers employed in their music can be a potential source of confusion for players. The source of confusion for players arises from what essentially the same ornament is being marked with a different sign for the voice than for harpsichord; ornament signs in solo viol music may also be different from those in violin music. Fortunately, most French ornaments used in Baroque music fall into a few general categories, each of which can be understood to include several variants. There are many ways to achieve a special effect in string playing. Some of the techniques that fall into this category were first introduced in French viol and violin music in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and have had lasting influence on the techniques and literature for these instruments.
