Staccato

Full Description

Staccato is a performance technique indicating that a note should be played detached from those around it — shortened in duration and separated by a brief silence. The word comes from the Italian staccare, meaning to detach. In notation, staccato is marked by a small dot placed directly above or below the note head. A staccato note is typically reduced to approximately half its written value, though this is not a mechanical rule. The character of staccato varies enormously by context, tempo, and musical style. A staccato quaver in an allegro movement may be very short and crisp; the same marking in a slow adagio might be only gently detached, more like a lifted portato than a hard separation. On the piano, staccato is produced by a quick withdrawal of the finger from the key after the initial strike. This is a wrist and finger technique, not a heavy arm action. Over-pressing the key does not make a note louder once it is struck — staccato on piano requires touch precision, not force. Finger staccato (used in fast passages), wrist staccato, and arm staccato each produce slightly different qualities of detachment. Staccato contrasts directly with legato, which calls for smooth, connected playing. Tenuto, marked by a short horizontal line, indicates a held, slightly emphasised note — the opposite expressive pole from staccato. Many passages combine these markings, requiring the performer to judge the degree of separation appropriate to each note and phrase.