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This is actually not a stupid question.

Not sure about guitar, but harp music would sure be dull and lifeless sounding without the grace note, or "ornaments" as we prefer to call them. There are all sorts of ornamentations too...you have to develope your music to know how to choose the best ones at the right spots.

Definitely under appreciated/utilized in most guitar music.
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My pet term for these notes is "filigrees."
A filigree is what brings something up and above and beyond utilitarian . . . to beautiful . . .

grace notes effectively. It certainly is NOT a stupid question. Without grace notes some solos sound too mechanical. Nuances like grace notes can make a huge difference. Later...

Alright, I will volunteer as the young one. I am the apprentice. What is a grace note? Lol. No clue here. Still working on that music theory. Getting better at it, but it is going to take some time. I tried to look up what it is, but I do not get the explanations.

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

I'm thinking it's a note that isn't in the key that you're actually playing in?
If that's the case, I use them often or else it would just sound like finger exercises or scales everytime you you go to improvise.

Oh man... in the realm of the bagpipe(s), they're essential!!
The music would be much more lifeless without them.


Since you didn't reference any one instrument...

For the guys wondering about a grace note......

A grace note is a note that is not really in time. It's kinda like a fast note, slurred note or extra note in between counts. They are used primarily in classical music but can be applied anywhere. THis is a very basic explanation. As others have commented they are also defined as "ornamentals". It depends what the intention of the composer was. They could even be a mistake or an uninteneded note hit by accident. Unlike a true "clam" (mistake) the note is not offensive sounding. It all depends.

This is why I put the question up, and got responses from the people I expected. Everyone who has responded is an above average player, and thus has training under their belt to know what a grace note is and how it is applied.

I have to ask my mommy!



Growing up listening to Jeff Beck and trying to copy his style I always threw in a lot of grace notes.

I also always say grace before I fire off a solo!

Please Lord help me stay in time, in key and please dont break the G-String!

jw123 wrote:Please Lord help me stay in time, in key and please dont break the G-String!

Lmao. Okay, I think I understand it somewhat. I will go on and study it more in depth later. Thanks guys.

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

You don't need to pray - you just need to master the timeless art of the musician's ability to make a mistake look like an intention.

You don't need to pray -

Please Lord help me stay in time, in key and please don't break the G-String!

Hey now...some of us here believe He gave us the gifts to begin wit..

oooh reminds me of another thread awhile back...

Surely you're not suggesting that if you don't pray, "He's" gonna yank the music gift away?

That sounds like vindictive behavior, and overlaying that human foible on the Almighty, doesn't it?

In the relm of blues organ riffing,I regard the grace note a vital tool indeed.Before the days of mod wheels,pitch bend,aftertouch,or Farfisa multi-tone knee levers,you required technique in order to get any "feeling" out of an undynamic electronic keyboard.

has grace notes. I'm not sure if you can necessarily say these little notes are mistakes or not, but they sure make the solos a lot more interesting to listen to. Speaking of organ riffing we have an outstanding keyboard player in our band who plays piano, organ, and GREAT harmonica. When I upload some of our songs SOON I think you'll enjoy it. Yes, and there's grace notes in our music. Later...