legato explained

techniquesleh-GAH-tofrom Italian

A smooth, connected style of playing or singing in which notes flow seamlessly into one another

In Depth

Legato (from the Italian legare, to bind) requires each note to sustain until the next begins, with no silence or articulation between them. On the piano, this demands careful overlapping of finger releases and attacks. On strings, it means smooth bow changes. For singers, it means seamless breath control and vowel connection. Legato is often considered the most fundamental and most difficult aspect of musical technique — the ability to create a true singing line on any instrument.
Did you know?

Bellini's opera melodies set the standard for vocal legato — his long, seamless phrases require extraordinary breath control and are considered the ultimate test of [bel canto technique](/term/bel%20canto%20technique).

Related Terms

legatoslurcantabilestaccato

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bel canto technique

An Italian school of singing emphasising beauty of tone, smooth legato, agile coloratura, and elegant phrasing

sul tasto

Bowing over the fingerboard, producing a soft, flute-like tone.

con sordino explained

A direction to play with a mute, creating a softer, more veiled tone quality

agogic accent

An accent created by slightly lengthening a note rather than playing it louder, using duration rather than volume to create emphasis.

glottal stop

A brief, percussive closure of the vocal cords used in singing and speech to cleanly articulate the beginning of a note or word.

meend

A smooth, continuous glide between notes in Indian classical music, essential to raga expression.

ornamentation

The practice of decorating a melody with additional notes that embellish the original line

drum fill

A short, improvised or composed rhythmic passage that bridges sections of a song.

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