Rhapsody In Blue (Piano Solo) trill question

[nwynder]

I am looking at the music for Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano and in the six measure the g, f  8ths are articulated with a trill marking AND a (b) over the g. How is that played?

I figured one would play the Gb,G,F 3 times but Im sure? Sorry for crappy description.

[sonatainfsharp]

Without seeing the score, an accidental OVER a trill sign means the upper note is adjusted; below the trill sign would mean the lower note is adjusted.  I can see how a bad publisher would write the letter and a flat to indicate a flatted note.

In other words, you play only F and Gb-- not F, G, and Gb.

Unforetunately, your description doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I don't think I have the same score you do.

[sonatainfsharp]

Wait, I DO have the score...

The trill is g and a-flat.

The flat ABOVE the tril sign means the upper note is flatted. So, the upper note is a-flat:

F

G A-b G
F

G A-b G
F

etc...

**or**

you can add more notes, but you don't really have time for that here. And you likely wouldn't start on the upper note for this style, either, even though there are more and more opinions that the upper note starts a trill no matter what; but that is up to you to decide.

[ted]

Yes, I think that's how I usually play it. The piece is a solo rhapsody, after all, and there is scope for much variation. There is a really ambiguous ornament in the fourth bar from the end. In the music it's written with a horrible concoction of trills and tremolos making it next to impossible to work out what is going on. In the end, rather than try to work it out,  I ignored the music altogether and just played an off-beat octave trill between the hands, which sounds quite good.

The trouble is that you can't imitate what goes on in the orchestral version and the piano roll of Gershwin playing it has extra notes stuck in some parts making it impossible to play with two hands.