How did early performers add ornaments to 17th- and 18th-century music?

In the 17th and 18th centuries, performers added ornaments to music primarily through improvisation, as composers often provided only a "skeleton" of the melody for the performer to embellish. This practice allowed musicians to heighten the expressive power of a composition, reflect the mood of the text, or add variety to repeated sections.12

Key methods and developments included:

• Diminution (Division): A fundamental technique where the performer divided basic melody notes into groups of shorter, more florid notes.1
• Ornamental Signs: While many ornaments were left to the performer's discretion, the 17th century saw the emergence of shorthand devices and specific ornamental signs in musical notation, which became more common later in the period.3
• National Styles: Distinct Italian and French styles developed. Italian ornamentation remained florid and was often used to heighten emotional content, while French styles—particularly in lute and harpsichord music—utilized small ornaments for articulation, accentuation, and rhythmic modification.1

By the late 18th century, many ornaments were increasingly incorporated directly into the written musical language, reducing the reliance on performer improvisation.1