Staccato vs. legato
Two Italian words, one big idea: should the notes be short and detached or smooth and connected? Master this single contrast and your playing instantly sounds more shaped and intentional.
Staccato and legato are the two ends of the articulation spectrum — the most useful opposites in music. Almost every phrase you'll ever play sits somewhere between them, so getting these two firmly in your ears and hands pays off forever.
Learn it by playing
You'll feel the difference faster than you can read about it. Hop into our free arcade, make some notes, and try shaping them short and long.
Staccato: short and detached
Staccato (Italian for "detached") means play the note short, with a clear gap of silence before the next one. It's marked with a small dot above or below the notehead — not after it, which is something different (a dot after a note makes it longer).
The classic image is tapping a hot stove: touch and lift, quick and crisp. Importantly, staccato shortens the sound, not the beat. A staccato quarter note still happens on its beat; you simply play a short burst and let the rest of that beat be silent.
Legato: smooth and connected
Legato (Italian for "tied together") means play the notes smoothly, with no gaps between them — each note flows seamlessly into the next. It's usually shown with a slur, a curved line arching over a group of notes.
The image here is running your finger along a wall without ever lifting it. The sound is continuous, like singing a phrase on one breath. Singers do this naturally by connecting vowels; instrumentalists work to imitate that vocal smoothness.
How they look on the page
- Staccato = a dot directly above or below each note.
- Legato = a curved slur line over a run of notes (and the absence of dots).
- Tenuto = a short line under the note, the "fullest" version of legato — hold it for its complete value.
One caution: a slur and a tie look identical, but a tie joins two notes of the same pitch into one held sound, while a slur connects different pitches smoothly. Check whether the two notes are at the same height on the staff to tell them apart.
How to play each one
The technique depends on your instrument, but the goal is the same:
- Wind & brass: for staccato, start each note with a crisp tongue (tut, tut) and stop the air briefly. For legato, tongue only the first note of a slur and keep the air flowing through the rest.
- Strings: staccato uses short, separated bow strokes; legato connects notes within one smooth bow.
- Piano: staccato lifts the key quickly; legato overlaps fingers slightly so one note doesn't release until the next is down.
- Voice: staccato uses small, separated breaths or gentle consonants; legato connects vowels without breaking the airflow.
When to use which
The composer's markings always come first — play what's written. But understanding the character helps you bring them to life:
- Staccato feels light, playful, energetic, or pointed. Think marches, dance tunes, and bubbly fast passages.
- Legato feels lyrical, warm, flowing, and expressive. Think slow melodies and singing lines.
Great players also use the contrast for drama — a smooth phrase suddenly answered by crisp staccato notes grabs the ear immediately.
A simple practice routine
- Pick a five-note scale. Play it fully legato, focusing on zero gaps between notes.
- Play the same scale fully staccato, making each note short and crisp with clear silence between.
- Alternate: legato going up, staccato coming down. This trains your control to switch on command.
- Use a metronome so your staccato notes still land precisely on the beat — short doesn't mean rushed.
Spend a couple of minutes on this daily and the contrast will become automatic. From there, every piece you read gains an extra layer of expression for free.
Brass Blaster
Clean, on-pitch note starts are the foundation of crisp staccato. Play the right note on your real horn to blast the swarm — brass & saxes, transposition handled.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between staccato and legato?
Staccato means short and detached, with silence between notes, while legato means smooth and connected, with notes flowing into each other without gaps. They are the two ends of the articulation spectrum.
How is staccato marked in sheet music?
Staccato is shown as a small dot placed directly above or below the notehead. Legato is usually shown with a curved slur line drawn over a group of notes.
Does staccato change a note's length?
Staccato shortens how long you sound the note, but it doesn't change the beat it falls on. A staccato quarter note still starts on its beat — the remaining time simply becomes a short silence.
Keep learning: Note values & rests · Read the treble clef · all guides · more articles