Bit
 
Articulation is how the note (or sound) is actually produced.
Ornamentation is how you decorate a note.
 
KISS Method
 
Clifford

now if you want a long and drawn out answer.....I can go there......but I like simple best.
 
Most of what everyone is giving you is "Technique"
Legatto vs Stacatto
Palm mute vs open string
 
ETC....
Just think of it as
Articulation is the "HOW"
Ornamentation is the "Fancy or Icing"
 
Hope that helps ......
 
If you are still wondering and want to satisify a deeper understanding Please refer to the "Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians"......As Hermione Granger would say.....Only take that out as a bit of "Light" reading.
 

Thanks for the education, everybody!
 
My question arose as I was reviewing a Kontakt instrument that listed playing variations as "ornaments", while most sampled instruments call them "articulations". That got me thinking about what the difference is, and if one term is more appropriate than the other.
 
I've concluded that neither is accurate as they're commonly used with sampled instruments, but it's not convenient to separate them. If it was me, I'd called them "variations". Or "de-boreifiers".

The "Bitflipper Variations." 
 
Come up with an equation that is true when x = 3.
Come up with an equation that is true when x = 5.
Come up with an equation that is true when x = 8.

Fascinating in regards to many articulations markers for the 'Bow' (i.e.violin), butt even more fascinating are wind instruments, which involves many clever uses of the 'Tongue'.

SongCraft
 
Since you do play piano, next question you (or anyone else who happens to stumble on this topic) might want to ask is, what's the musical notation for 'Piano Pedals'? Sustain Pedal marker is a 'Shallow curve between note/chord' to mark start and end points. Not to be confused with the Slur marker (legato)!   Damper Pedal, Ped is on/start, and * (asterisk) marker means damper off/end.

Check this out:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_symbols
 
Your question is answered nearly at the bottom of the rather lengthy page.  Interesting - I studied piano for six years when I was young and managed to never learn what the markings for either sostenuto or soft-pedal was.

Hi dmbaer,
 
Nice find, there's a lot of content I would not be able to remember all that, but thanks for that link.   No matter the years of experience, I'm always learning something
 
My nephew is studying to be a music teacher, and plays guitar in heavy metal bands.  Its been years since I last taught music (piano)!  Anyway, I record, keep notes, lyrics/notation, including project notes such as, track list, virtual instruments + special notes i.e. techniques used... all that including my songs recorded on (CD/DVD). Therefore I won't shed a tear if all hard drives (and backups) fail.  I really don't care if I had to re-record my songs, I love challenges and always strive to better my last effort.
 
I should call my home recording studio, 'Neanderthal' or something like that.

I wonder sometimes if sight-reading sheet music won't eventually become an arcane skill, like reading Latin or tanning hides.

bitflipper
 
I wonder sometimes if sight-reading sheet music won't eventually become an arcane skill, like reading Latin or tanning hides.

I started playing without the need for sight-reading and I prefer to write/play with feel, I love music, music is my life.  I guess most musicians are like this, aww heck some of the greatest musicians can't sight-read at all 
 
My mother inlaw can sight-read really well but her performances are not so great. Most of her years (time) was spent studying health care instead -- she worked at the local hospital for more than 30 years and is now happily retired, she's a wonderful lady   Anyway, another example would be a brother and sister (young students - under 12 years old), the sister loved playing piano and practiced every day, she is extraordinarily talented, highly skilled at both sight-reading and performance. Whereas her brother did not really want to learn how to play piano, his performance was average at best. I blame the parents for forcing him to continue learning the piano (the kid didn't want to play piano or any other instrument) -- you can't just learn how to sight-read and that's it (no daily practice; no honing actual performance skills). Nonetheless, that kid might go on to be a music teacher but his actual playing/performance skill will not be extraordinary.
 

I would imagine that Yo-yo Ma can sight read extremely well and would have a different opinion.
 
Also take the classical guitar players David Russell and John Williams whom I KNOW sight read like you would not believe....in fact John Williams has in the past gone into a studio and read thru a score he was unfamiliar with a few times and then recorded it in just a matter of a few takes.......He was not there more than and hour if that.....
 
Any way, these are three extreme cases of quality sight readers.....most of us mere mortals can sight read between fumbling and not too bad....
 
I fumble thru