Inverted Mordent

The inverted mordent (also called ‘upper mordent’ in some traditions) is a variant of the mordent that uses the upper auxiliary note instead of the lower. The pattern is: principal — upper auxiliary — principal. The notation is a wavy line without the vertical slash that distinguishes the lower (standard) mordent.

The inverted mordent is functionally similar to a brief trill (which alternates principal and upper note) but stops after just one alternation. The ornament gives a quick upward flick to the principal note, decorating it briefly without extending to a full trill.

In modern editions, the terminology is sometimes confusing — different traditions assign different names. The English-American convention typically reserves ‘mordent’ for the lower-auxiliary version and ‘inverted mordent’ for the upper. The German tradition uses ‘Mordent’ for the lower and ‘Pralltriller’ for the upper.

‘Inverted’ + mordent. The inversion refers to the direction of the auxiliary note — up instead of down.

Three quick notes: principal, upper neighbor, principal. Light and decorative. Don’t over-emphasize; the ornament is a brief flourish, not a structural feature.