Question about Fur Elise

by SR
(CA)

The attached photo shows a measure from Fur Elise. The time signature of the piece is 3/8. So each beat gets an eighth note.

In the photo, I see that there are 4 eighth notes in different combinations. First, you have two eighth notes connected by a bar, then you have a single curly eighth note and then you have four 1/32 notes connected with a bar making another eighth note.

Can someone please explain how this is possible? Am I missing something here?
Thanks!

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starstarstarstarstar		Grace notes; Appoggiaturas
by: Maria

Hello!
This is an excellent question that many of my students have stumbled upon, with a simple answer! :)

The small eight note you see is a "decoration" or an ornamental note. It is also called a grace note, and this particular one is an appoggiatura. (Sometimes grace notes have a thin line through them; this is called an acciaccatura and is played shorter than the appoggiatura.)

These ornamental notes are not counted together with the other notes in the measure. That is shown by writing them smaller. So the measure counts 3/8, with a grace note played just before the first 32nd note ("stealing" some of its time!).

Happy practicing!
Maria

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