Trills

In this article, you’ll learn what trills are, how to recognize them in sheet music, and how to practice them.

What are trills?
Trills are ornaments (or decorations) added into music. To perform a trill, rapidly oscillate between two notes with the left hand under the same bow.

How do you know to play a trill?

Trills are notated by the letters “tr” above the note, as shown below.

What notes do I use in the trill?

Always trill to the note above the one that’s written, taking the key signature into account. In the case above, you would trill to either a G or G sharp, depending on the key signature.

What’s the difference between a trill and a tremolo?

A trill is rapidly moving between two notes with the left hand, while a tremolo is short successive bow strokes.

How do I practice trills?

The best way to practice trills is by gradually speeding them up with the metronome. Place your metronome on 60 BPM, and practice the notes of the trill in quarter notes, eighth notes, and 16th notes. If you can’t quite get the trill as fast as you’d like, there is most likely excess tension in

Other tips for trills

Keep the finger that is moving as close to the string as possible. This helps increase the speed of the trill.

Think about lifting the finger up rather than pressing it down. This helps release tension.

Starting from the note above

You may have heard the phrase “start the trill from the note above”. This applies to pieces written in the Baroque and Classical eras, and means that the first note you hear should be the note above the one that’s written. The exception is if the note before the trill was already that note (the note above the trill), then you would start the trill from the note that’s written.