Grace Notes
The use of grace notes is an important expressive technique in Country keyboard playing. Grace notes have no real time of their own. Rather, they are heard as an expression added to the note they are leading to. A grace note is indicated by a very small note with a stroke through its stem. This note is played immediately before the following note, which is held for its full value.
There are two basic ways of playing grace notes. In many modern styles of music it is very common to play a grace note on a black key and then slide off onto a white key with the same finger.
Play D# note with 2nd finger
Slide finger off to sound E note.
The second technique involves playing a grace note on a white note and following it with either a black note or another white note. Each note is played with a different finger.
Play D note with 2nd finger.
Play Eb note with 3rd finger
Here are some common ways grace notes are used in Country music
This Gospel influenced example contains a double grace note in bar 4.
