legato

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.