Acciaccatura (crushed grace note)
A slashed small note marks an acciaccatura, a very brief grace note leading into the main note. Modern teaching commonly places it just before the beat so the main note lands on time, but historical and composer-specific practice can place it on the beat; context decides.
The sources do not fully agree about this sign. The explanation above says where they part company.
- Ornaments and grace notes
- Just before the note
- An oval or notehead, A slash
Do not confuse it with
An acciaccatura's small stem is slashed; an appoggiatura's is not and normally takes more time from the main note.
What the sources say
- Steps to Music Theory — Compound Meters
The grace note is a small note with a slash ... played quickly and immediately before the main note falls on the beat.
- Learning Manual — Grace notes
\acciaccatura (a slashed grace note with a slur to its main note)
- Grace notes
An acciaccatura features a slash through the stem, and plays back before the ‘essential’ or main note it's attached to.