legato

articulationleh-GAH-tohfrom Italian

Notes played smoothly and connected, with no gaps between them.‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍

In Depth

Legato means smooth and connected — each note flows into the next with no gap or silence between them.‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍ For string players, this means keeping the bow moving continuously. For wind players, it means not tonguing between notes. For pianists, it means overlapping notes slightly so the sound is seamless. Legato playing is fundamental to lyrical, singing-style phrases. The slur, a curved line over a group of notes, indicates legato. Achieving a true legato on the piano is particularly challenging since the instrument's sound begins decaying the moment a key is struck — pianists create the illusion of connection through careful timing, dynamics, and pedaling.

Did you know?

The great pianist Artur Rubinstein said that achieving a perfect legato on the piano — an instrument that cannot truly sustain notes — is the pianist's greatest illusion.

Related Terms

staccato tenuto

More in Articulation

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accent

A stress or emphasis placed on a particular note.

acciaccatura

A very short grace note played as quickly as possible before the main note.

acciaccatura explained

A very short ornamental note played as quickly as possible before the main note, taking no perceptible time

appoggiatura

A grace note that takes time from the following main note, creating a brief dissonance.

appoggiatura explained

An ornamental note that falls on the beat, creating a dissonance that resolves by step to the main note

arco

An instruction to return to bowing after a pizzicato passage.

articulation marks

Symbols placed above or below notes to indicate how they should be attacked, sustained, and released

detaché

Separate bow strokes for each note, but without the shortness of staccato.

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