legato
Speech parts
1. legato - Noun
2. legato - Adjective
3. legato - Adverb
Meaning
Connected; tied; -- a term used when successive tones are to be produced in a closely connected, smoothly gliding manner. It is often indicated by a tie, thus /, /, or /, /, written over or under the notes to be so performed; -- opposed to staccato.
Source: Webster's dictionarySynonyms
Antonyms
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Examples
a legato passage
play this legato, please
For example, staccato is the shortening of duration compared to the written note value, legato performs the notes in a smoothly joined sequence with no separation.
Guitar In guitar playing (apart from classical guitar) legato is used interchangeably as a label for both musical articulation and a particular application of technique—playing musical phrases with predominantly hammer-ons or pull-offs instead of picking.
He has been called "Father of the Piano". citation Of Clementi's playing in his youth, Moscheles wrote that it was "marked by a most beautiful legato, a supple touch in lively passages, and a most unfailing technique."
Generally, legato adds a more fluid, smooth sound to a passage.