LEARN

Technique Tip: Diminutions In 1535, Sylvestro Ganassi wrote

La Fontegara, a treatise with
highly complex diminutions.

How to start using Renaissance ornamentation

In the second half of the 16th
century, Giovanni Bassano, Girolamo

W
Dalla Casa, Riccardo Rognoni and
WRITTEN BY ould you like to ornament Giovanni Luca Conforto (sometimes
LOBKE the Renaissance pieces spelled Conforti) each published a
SPRENKELING you’re playing, but you treatise. !ey wrote smoothly flowing
Lobke Sprenkeling don’t know where to start? When we diminutions, using little rhythmic
obtained her Bach- play music of the 16th century and variety and employing extensive use
elor’s and Master’s the beginning of the 17th century, an of sequences.
degrees as a recorder player and the- important part of ornamentation is From 1600 on, some important
atrical performer at the Royal Conser- diminutions. !is article will explore changes led to the “new style” (Ital-
vatory of The Hague and Utrecht Con- the basics of diminutions, plus other ian, stile nuovo), bringing with it an
servatory, Netherlands. She continued pre-Baroque ornaments you might extension of ornaments based on the
her studies at the Escola Superior de play in music of that period. It will already existing ones. !is is the time
Música de Catalunya, Spain, with a also give you practical advice on of the first operas and the first solo
national scholarship from the Dutch how to play pre-Baroque music. or chamber instrumental forms with
Prince Bernhard Culture Fund. In basso continuo (sonata, canzona,
2016 she earned her music Ph.D. cum A bit of history toccata, fantasia); instrumental dances
laude at the Universidad Politècnica In the Renaissance, florid passages also existed in the 16th century. !is
de València. She also studied mul- were added to a melody in an im- new style can already be observed in
tidisciplinary theater from a musical provised fashion. !ese ornaments Giovanni Battista Bovicelli’s Regole,
perspective (Carlos III University, Ma- are called diminutions (in Italian, passaggi di musica... of 1594, which
drid, and the Yale University Summer diminuzione) or divisions. !ey was influenced by the Florentine Cam-
Program); her specific interest in the diminish, or subdivide, the longer erata and their insistence on correct
relationship between musician and notes into a series of shorter notes. and emotive declamation in vocal
body has led to her performing in and Although diminutions were impro- works. !e diminutions were for the
creating multidisciplinary works. She vised, several authors of treatises of most part relegated to the penultimate
taught recorder at the pre-conserva- the time composed beautiful orna- syllables of the verses, where they did
tory program (ages 8-18) of Conserva- mented versions of existing pieces. not obscure the meaning of the words.
torio Profesional of València (2007-16), !ese not only serve as an example In general, the ornaments of that
and has taught in Europe, Mexico and of diminutions, but are also marvel- time included more varied rhythms,
the U.S. (sessions with the recorder ous compositions on their own. so the diminutions were less predict-
societies in Phoenix, AZ, and Seattle, In 1535, Sylvestro Ganassi wrote able and less sequential than before.
WA, and for Amherst Early Music). La Fontegara, a treatise with highly According to the authors of that time,
She currently teaches recorder complex diminutions that seem to if the eighth notes were sung rhythmi-
at the Real Conservatorio Superior be closer to 15th-century practice. cally, they lacked grace or elegance. !e
de Música de Madrid. Recently she !e next one in time is the treatise by search for the expression of emotions,
released a CD and taught at Lyon Diego Ortiz in 1553, a versatile and the affect, was much more important
National Conservatory in France, in an excellent diminution guide. Ortiz than just adding beauty to the melody.
Erasmus Program collaboration with adopted a simpler and more regular Authors of this new style are
recorder pedagogues Pierre Hamon style than Ganassi did with his dim- Giulio Caccini, Antonio Brunelli
and Sébastien Marq. inutions, a fashion that continued in and Francesco Rognoni di Taeggio,
Info: https://lobke.world. treatises throughout the 16th century. the son of Riccardo, among others.

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 Diminutions LEARN

How to begin errors, such as forbidden disso- through that note. Although not
!e most important rule to start is that nances or parallel fifths, the listener mentioned in diminution treatises,
these ornaments are not slurred, but was not supposed to hear them since this technique can be found in the or-
articulated. !ey tend to be quite fast, they were very short passing tones. namented works shown in the same
so it is best to use double tonguing, 3. !e third way (example 4) consists treatises. It often involves motivic or
such as a soft D-G articulation or did’l. of a freer interpretation: perhaps sequential patterns. It will only work
!e ornaments should be played as if adapting a longer segment of the if you know what is going on in the
they were the original long note—that original line in the diminution, or other voices in the piece. Strive to
is, in a “horizontal” way that leads to substituting for the main melodic use contrary movement (motion in
the next note, without stretching beats note a pattern that does not pass opposite directions) where possible.
beyond the value of the original note.
What we want to do is extend the feel- 1
ing of the long note by creating lots of
short notes, so we must make it “sing”
as if we were singing a long note, not
make it jump as if it were a dance.
!e role of the airstream (and thus
our strong air support) is very impor-
tant: it is the foundation for a light
tongue and should create one beauti-
ful smooth tone, stitching together all
our small notes. Of course, there is a
speed limit to the tongue, so very fast
notes could end up being slurred.
A second very important rule is that,
when playing diminutions, we should
always search for scale-like movement
in seconds as much as possible. !is
means that patterns like arpeggios
should be avoided. When we do leap, ▲ 1: Title page of La Fontegara by Sylvestro Ganassi
it should be done from a consonant to
another consonant in the harmony—
2 3
for example, from the tonic note to
the third, fifth or octave above.
As we will see later, trills as a
concept didn’t exist yet.
Diego Ortiz wrote in 1553 that there
are three levels of diminution proce-
dures, which can help us to get started.
1. !e first way (example 2) is the
simplest. !e diminution begins Diminutions (ornamentation shown
and ends on the original note. !is on the top line for original bottom
was considered the safest, because 4 line—all three examples are from
it preserved the original harmonic Rognoni, Ung Gay Bergier)
counterpoint of the music.
2. !e second way (example 3) is 2: Beginning and ending on same
to start on the original note—but, note, then moving to the next note
instead of ending on it, continue the
conjunct movement and join the or- 3: Joining the first and second notes
nament to the next note. Although
this way could result in contrapuntal 4: Free diminution

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 LEARN Diminutions

5 "

Diminutions (ornamentation
shown on the top line for
original bottom line)

5: General use of passaggi

(from Ancor che col partire,
an Italian-language madrigal
composed by Flemish composer
6 7 Cipriano de Rore while
he was in Italy, also used
by Rognoni)

6: Groppo

and

7: Tirata
(both are from Rore/Rognoni,
Ancor che col partire)
8

8: Accented and dotted rhythm

(as used by Lodovico Zacconi and
Girolamo Diruta)

9: Groppo rafrenato
(Giovanni Battista Bovicelli)

9 10

10: Bridge (in Vestiva i colli

by Rognoni)

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 Diminutions LEARN

Tempo
For Renaissance music, where bar
lines don’t exist yet, the concept of the
tactus, or underlying pulse, is essential. The trillo—not to be confused
!is is a basic, natural beat that easily with the Baroque trill!— is a
allows for changes in its subdivision figure subdividing one long note.
(for instance, from duple to triple).
Especially in 16th-century music, different approaches to this ornament:
you should keep a steady tactus in • Double articulation used like a
general, breaking up the long notes bouncing ball—gradually going
into rhythmically regular diminutions. faster, but leaving some room for
In 17th-century music, this changes a the last note to sound a bit longer
bit, allowing for more expressive tools • Finger vibrato
and for some flexibility in tempo. • Lifting the finger in a highly dot-
ted rhythm, also going faster and
Types of 16th- and faster. !is variant may end up as
17th-century ornaments a kind of trill, even if it doesn’t
Let’s have a look at the different types have the same concept as the
of diminutions: Baroque trill (a much different
1. General diminutions or passaggi ornament that always starts on
unite the notes of the original mel- the note above the written note).
ody in mostly adjacent movement 5. !e accento, a passing note orna-
(example 5). ment, is usually a variation of two
2. A special ornament called a groppo basic types—one for ascending
(or group, as in example 6) is a caden- intervals (especially thirds), and
tial ornament, employing an alter- one for descending seconds. Exam-
nation between seconds with a turn ple 8 shows both types, as used by
at the end. For example, movement Lodovico Zacconi and Girolamo
from B to C can become BCBCBABC. Diruta. !e accento was applied to
!is basic form can be extended. If it’s places where diminutions were not
on a descending interval, C to B, then appropriate: moments of strong
it’s often played as CBCBCBCD B. affect, especially of sadness or pain;
3. According to Michael Praetorius in or at the beginning of an imitative
Syntagma Musicum, another diminu- piece where a solo voice starts.
tion is the tirata (tirade, as in exam- 6. In the groppo rafrenato (Bovicelli,
ple 7): “Tirate are long rapid runs in a Regole, passaggi di musica), faster
graduated manner up and down.” notes like 16ths slow down before
From the 17th century on, additional the final note (example 9). Duets
ornaments came into use: 7. Dynamic effects such as the messa and
trios
4. !e trillo—not to be confused with di voce (crescendo—decrescendo) in
the Baroque trill!—is a figure subdi- 8. Dotting the rhythm of diminutions the
viding one long note. Caccini calls (long-short and short-long, called
the trillo: Ribattuta di Gola (throat lombardic/lombard rhythm). !is David Goldstein Series
articulation). He writes, “!e trillo was seen as much more graceful in As a tribute to the life and legacy of
the 17th century than playing just this beloved recorder player, gambist,
that I describe is on a single note...; composer/arranger and New York
One starts with the first quarter note regular diminutions. pediatrician, Alan Karass selected
9. Ornaments of note and intensity and edited music from the David
and then each note is articulated with Goldstein Collection at the Recorder
the throat over the vowel à until the fluctuation such as the tremolo, Music Center at Regis University,
literally a “shaking of the voice.” We Denver, CO. ARS members may
final whole note.” Rognoni (1620) also purchase Volumes I and II for
writes: “!e trillo is struck with the could call this a kind of vibrato— $5 each through the ARS Store:
but it is used only as an ornament. https://americanrecorder.org/goldstein
throat.” For recorder players, there are

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 LEARN Diminutions

11

11: Fragment with a number of types of diminutions, following the words in a vocal piece (Rognoni, Ung gay bergier)

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Lobke Sprenkeling’s web site: https://lobke.world • Most of the treatises mentioned here can be found by
• Articles in her recorder technique series: https:// searching for the author or for “diminution” on
americanrecorder.org/extra. Sprenkeling’s versions of https://imslp.org or http://cpdl.org/wiki
the scores for Belle qui tiens ma vie and Triste España, • Passaggi app: about $18.50 at www.passaggi.co.uk
both mentioned in this article, are also found there. • Embellishment Workout by Cat on the Keys Music:
• Videos for some articles in this series: about $11.70 at www.catonthekeysmusic.co.uk/
www.youtube.com/americanrecordermag embellishments-workouts
• Lobke Sprenkeling’s recording, Pulchra Es, • L’Art de Diminuer by Philippe Matharel: $50, sold by
demonstrates diminutions plus sonatas and canzonas of many music vendors including www.vonhuene.com
the Renaissance: reviewed in AR Summer 2023; • Critique for AR Summer 2022 includes reviews of two
https://lobke.world/products; stream via Spotify, iTunes, commercial publications to help you learn diminutions
etc.; www.youtube.com/@LobkeSprenkeling/videos written by Diego Ortiz and G.P. Palestrina.

This piece is part of Sprenkeling’s technique series.

PART 1: “Use of Air and Breath Control: The Respiratory System” /

AR Spring 2021 Use of air in everyday breathing and for good musical tone; exercises for correct breathing.

PART 2: “More on Breathing plus Posture and Hands” / AR Summer 2021 Additional breathing exercises,
good posture, embouchure and hand position.

PART 3: “Articulation” / AR Fall 2021 added articulation to previous skills.

PART 4: “A Toolbox for Coordination of Air, Fingers and Articulation” / AR Winter 2021 covered all skills learned so far.

PART 5: “Daily study habits & how to work on a new piece of music” / AR Spring 2022 applied skills in daily practice.

PART 6: “How to play air and finger vibrato” / AR Fall 2022 added an expressive element.

PART 7: “How to apply articulations to music” / AR Winter 2022 Basic rules, and when to break them.

PART 8: “How to use double tonguing and apply it to music” / AR Spring 2023

ALSO: ”Using a metronome” / AR Summer 2023; “After your first recorder lesson or workshop” / AR Fall 2023

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 Diminutions LEARN

How to add diminutions to Renaissance works, diminished by In LEARN for AR Fall 2023, “What
your daily practice authors of the time. Other handy ma- Now?,” I mentioned that we should
We are lucky to have examples of terials are the Embellishment Workout; play a new piece perfectly the first
amazing diminutions composed by and also L’Art de Diminuer by Philippe three times—because if we repeat
the same mistake those three times,
the authors of the time. Play as many Matharel, a summary of the diminu- it will stick in our muscle memory. My
as you can. !e most important thing tions for individual intervals, given by friend Dennis wondered: how can
to keep in mind as you work on these several authors from the 16th and 17th we play it perfectly if it’s a new piece
and we’re not able to play the entire
diminutions is to get to know the centuries—and, of course, consult the
piece perfectly? I’d like to give some
original melody as well as possible. historical treatises themselves. hints about how to do that when
Sing and play the original before really learning a new piece.
starting to play the diminished version. How to diminish from scratch Think of what your strengths and
weaknesses are. Do you need to
If the original has a text, follow its Now it’s your turn! Start with easy
reinforce rhythm? If so, practice the
musical phrasing as much as possible Renaissance songs, diminishing the top rhythm separately before playing it.
for your diminutions. We shouldn’t voice. Good examples are the popular You can clap it, or speak it using the
forget that these were the hits of the 16th-century pavane Belle qui tiens ma Takadimi or Kodály system. Listening
to the piece and getting acquainted
time, so the original was well-known. vie (on page 36) or Triste españa by Juan with it is also a great idea. How
It would be as if we diminished del Encina (both scores are on the ARS does the rhythm flow? How does
Yesterday by the Beatles—you would web site). Here are some steps to follow: the melody go? What do the other
instantly know when the diminutions 1. Add diminutions and other orna- instruments do, if there are any?
Are the notes di!cult for you? In
weren’t following the phrases! ments to obvious moments first, like that case, you can practice saying,
In the same way, diminutions should cadences and changes in the melody or even better singing, the note
respect and even magnify the character where you feel it would be very names, while staying in the rhythm.
of the original. We can see this in Rog- natural to add some decoration. You can also clap the rhythm while
you sing the notes. You can write
noni’s diminutions on Ung gay bergier, For instance, the interval D E may in the names of the notes—try to
which are very playful, as is the orig- be diminished with D cd E. get to know them well enough to
inal text (example 11). On the other 2. Start small. Add only one or two erase them after a while, so that you
hand, the diminutions by Bovicelli on notes, and extend that little by little. don’t become dependent on this
visual aid. Another tool is to rest the
Palestrina’s Io Son Ferito augment the Begin by just filling up an interval. It’s mouthpiece of the recorder on your
intensity of the pain of love expressed about building bridges of mostly sec- chin, and sing the note names while
by the text. onds between one note and another. you silently finger the notes.
Analyze the diminutions in all of the 3. Start at an easy tempo—don’t go Divide the piece into smaller
sections; focus on one small section
available examples. Observe where faster than your brain can follow. Try and get it right. Here is where you
the different types of ornaments are to relax; be comfortable and playful! can work on air, articulation and
used by the author of each treatise 4. Follow the phrasing of the piece as coordination. Don’t rush! The brain
in order to understand how you can much you can. If it’s originally a vocal has to be able to follow the fingers,
the breath support, and the tongue.
apply such ornaments yourself. work (like example 11), try to breathe Analyze what you’re doing: feel,
!e authors didn’t always notate where a singer would breathe—don’t listen, and be aware of what’s going
ornaments for cadences. Sometimes forget that there’s a text, a meaning, an on. Also analyze the music: where do
these require some sort of groppo or, if ambience. Try to respect those quali- the phrases begin and end? Is there
a comma in the middle? Of course,
it’s a 17th-century diminution, a trillo. ties, to keep the intent of the original. when you play slowly, you will have
Ortiz with his 1553 treatise has a Is the original a madrigal, a chanson, to breathe in more places than when
great versatile guide. Play through all or a dance form like a pavane? you speed up. Even so, it’s important
of his examples and improvise on the 5. If you’ve got a motive that works, to establish at least certain breaths
that go with the musical phrases.
ostinato bass patterns (grounds) that don’t be afraid to repeat it. !is will Don’t start at the beginning all
he provides for the Recercadas sobre only add cohesion to your diminu- the time. If you do, you may be very
tenores italianos. Improvising on a tions. If you never repeat a motive, familiar with the start of the piece
ground is always an excellent exercise! the result could actually lack cohe- and not so much with the rest of it.
I hope these ideas clarify what it
!e “Passaggi” app provides the sion. It’s not a bad idea to use a motive means to play “perfectly” the first
accompaniments for Ortiz’s treatise, twice, even three or four times. If you few times, and that they help you
as well as drones to use for practice get bored with that pattern, probably relax and enjoy the journey more!
and accompaniment tracks for several there’s a reason—that’s when you

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 LEARN Diminutions

▲ Belle qui tiens ma vie by Thoinot Arbeau (Orchesography, 1589). Transcription by Lobke Sprenkeling.
Translation: Beauty, you who hold my life captive in your eyes,
You who make my soul delighted with a gracious smile,
Come soon to rescue me, or I shall die.

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 Diminutions LEARN

need to do something else or create

something that’s an extension of that
The American Recorder
original motive. Repeat the motive, Society offers
but vary its rhythm; or repeat a rhyth-
mic motive and change the notes. DIVERSITY AND
6. Normally in written-out diminu-
tions of the time, you will see that the
INCLUSION
ornamentation doesn’t start on the GRANTS
first note of the piece. It’s a good idea
to give space to the beginning of the
melody before adding ornaments.
7. Keep your diminutions regular. Try Any chapter, consort, recorder orchestra,
not to play a long note and a couple
of rapid notes, creating a constant
or workshop may apply at any time.
irregular rhythm. Divide the notes Funding is available for programs with a strong
over the musical space. !ink of
eighth notes instead of a rhythm us-
potential for increasing diversity, equity or
ing a dotted quarter note and 32nds. inclusion in the recorder playing community.
8. Simplicity is better. We tend to want
to do too much. Don’t get too far away
Interested? Applications are available on the
from the original notes. I think of get- ARS website’s Diversity Grant webpage.
ting back to the written notes about https://americanrecorder.org/diversitygrant
halfway through my diminution. Questions? Contact Susan Burns,
9. Look at the other voices to make [email protected].
sure that your diminution isn’t in
conflict with them or creating paral-
lel intervals with them like fourths,
fifths or octaves. Also if you’re
playing the highest voice, limit your
distance to a fifth below the written
note. If you go down too far, you’ll
cross into the range of a lower voice.
10. Don’t diminish the last note of a
phrase, except when you choose to
make it a bridge leading into the
next phrase, as you might do in Ves-
tiva i colli by Rognoni (example 10).
11. If the original melody repeats
itself, don’t go big with your diminu-
tions during the first time through;
save something for later. Make your
diminutions grow organically as
part of your musical narrative.
12. For 17th-century music, add dotted
rhythms, trillos and other ornaments
of that time.
Your efforts won’t always be perfect,
but that is part of improvising diminu-
tions. You’ll find that it’s about puzzling
your way from one place to another,
which can be very pleasurable! •

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