Pianist’s flourish - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "Pianist's flourish," is a delightful and direct entry that bridges the world of music and crosswords. It asks for a specific term used to describe a common musical embellishment. For those with a bit of musical knowledge, this clue might be a quick fill, but for others, it's a great opportunity to learn a new term.

Clue Analysis

The clue has two key components:

"Pianist's": This immediately sets the context within the realm of music, specifically keyboard instruments. While the answer isn't exclusive to the piano, it's a very common technique for pianists.
"flourish": This word implies something decorative, an embellishment, or an ornamental passage added to the main melody. It's not the core of the music, but an extra touch to add excitement or texture.

The solver's task is to find a specific, five-letter word that means a musical flourish often performed on a piano.

Thinking Approaches

Direct Association: The most straightforward path is to brainstorm musical terms for ornamentation. What are the fancy, quick little runs of notes you hear in classical or jazz music? Words like glissando, arpeggio, or grace note might come to mind. Following this train of thought should lead you to the correct term for a rapid alternation of notes.
Contextual Brainstorming: Think about sounds. What kind of sounds are described as flourishes? You might think of a "warble" or a "quiver." This line of thinking can be helpful, as the answer is also used to describe the sound a bird makes, which is a similar rapid, vibrating sound.
Using Crossings: If you're stuck, getting a few crossing letters is a surefire strategy. For a five-letter word like this one, seeing a T at the beginning or the double L at the end would likely make the answer immediately obvious.

Background Context

The answer refers to a trill, a fundamental musical ornament. In music theory, a trill is a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or whole tone apart. It's a technique used across many instruments—from the flute to the violin to the human voice—to create a sense of tension, excitement, or shimmering beauty. On the piano, it's executed by quickly alternating fingers on two neighboring keys.

Interestingly, the word "trill" is also commonly used to describe the warbling song of a bird, which shares the same acoustic quality of rapid pitch variation. This dual meaning makes it a versatile and popular word in crossword puzzles.

Conclusion

"Pianist's flourish" is an excellent clue for the answer TRILL. It accurately points to a specific musical technique while being accessible enough for a general audience. The clue's elegance lies in its concise and evocative description of a sound familiar to many, even if they don't know its formal name.

Hints

Hint 1: This is a type of musical ornamentation.
Hint 2: It's a rapid, decorative sound made on an instrument.
Hint 3: The technique involves quickly alternating between two notes.
Hint 4: This term is also used to describe a type of bird song.