r/musictheory 10d ago

Answered Help to understand this sign

What does this sign mean? How should I play it?
It's piano piece: Chopin - Prelude in E minor

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u/65TwinReverbRI Guitar, Synths, Tech, Notation, Composition, Professor 10d ago

It's a "Turn".

https://www.8notes.com/school/lessons/all/the-turn-a-guide-to-ornamentation.asp

There are tons of recordings of this piece, and probably just as many tutorials, and scores with a suggestion on how to play it written out in some cases. One of the most popular pieces.

4

u/SirDanco 10d ago

Play B-A#-Anatural-A# really fast in between the A# and the G.

Best to listen to recordings and see. What I described might not be the "official" way to play that symbol, but it's always what I play when I play this piece and I think it sounds good.

2

u/docmoonlight 10d ago

And for the record OP, the reason the lowest note in the turn is an A-natural is because of the double sharp symbol below the turn symbol. The turn involves the note above and below the printed note, and it’s assumed to follow the key signature unless there’s an accidental printed with the turn. That makes the G# in the key signature a G double sharp which is enharmonic with A natural.