In music, notes can be played in different ways to achieve different effects. One common technique is to play notes in a detached manner, meaning each note is brief and separated from the surrounding notes. The musical notation used to indicate a detached note is called a staccato.
What is Staccato?
Staccato is a form of musical articulation signified in musical notation by a small dot placed above or below a note. It indicates that the note should be played in a short, detached manner, with each note being separated from the next. The staccato marking is the opposite of the legato articulation, in which notes are played in a smooth, connected way with no silence between them.
The word “staccato” comes from the Italian word meaning “detached.” When notes are played staccato, a small amount of the written note value is shortened, creating a space between each note. For example, if a quarter note is played staccato, it will sound shorter than a normal quarter note, generally between half and three-quarters of its written duration.
How to Play Staccato
There are a few techniques instrumentalists use to achieve a staccato effect:
- On wind instruments like flute, clarinet, saxophone, etc. the player will use very little air and tongue the start of each note forcefully. This creates a crisp, detached beginning to each note before the sound decays.
- On string instruments like violin or cello, the player will use a bouncing bowing action, keeping bow strokes short and lifting the bow off the string between notes. This separates each note clearly.
- On piano, the player depresses the keys rapidly with a whipping finger motion so that the dampers stop the sound sharply, creating space between notes.
- Vocalists and instrumentalists may rearticulate or cut off the end of sustained notes to make them staccato.
The overall effect is that the notes sound truncated and separated from each other. This contrasts with legato playing, where the notes blend smoothly together.
When to Use Staccato
Staccato articulation is commonly used:
- To create a light, crisp, and bright sound
- In lively dance music genres like polkas, tarantellas, or gallops to provide a skipping, jumping character
- In marches and fanfares, where a martial, sharp effect is desired
- To articulate rhythmic patterns clearly and precisely
- To provide a bouncy, detached accompaniment to a more legato melody
- As an alternative to slurring across a phrase to create variety
- In short repeated notes, runs, or arpeggios to better define the rhythm
Composers will frequently write staccato marks over sections of music where they want a light, brisk mood. The abrupt sound of staccato notes creates forward rhythmic motion and energizes the music. Staccato is also useful in clearly articulating fast note runs.
Variations in Staccato
There are a few variations in how staccato can be notated and played:
- Regular staccato – Indicated by a dot above or below the note. Usually reduces the note value by 1/4 to 3/4 of its full value.
- Staccatissimo – Indicated by a wedge or ‘flying saucer’ shape above the note. Plays notes very short, detached, and forceful, reducing the duration to around 1/8 of the full note value.
- Portato – Indicated by a line over the notes. Also called mezzo-staccato. Notes are played lightly detached, with a medium separation between notes rather than an extreme staccato.
Some pieces may use a variety of staccato articulations – from very clipped and short to more flowing and bouncy – in different sections for contrast.
Notating Staccato
In sheet music, staccato markings are placed above or below the note head. Sometimes dots are used, other times wedges for quicker notes, and lines for portato. General guidelines include:
- Dots tend to go above the note for instruments played in the right hand like flutes, violins, soprano singers. Dots go below the note for left hand instruments like cellos, bassoons, bass singers.
- For piano and harp music, dots usually go above the notehead but can also go below.
- If there are multiple voices on one staff, dots will go above the note for the higher voice line and below for the lower line.
- Staccato marks apply until the end of the measure or until cancelled by a legato or sustain marking.
- Repeated staccato notes can be indicated with rails or beams instead of renotating the dots.
Staccato symbols should be precisely placed in the score to convey the composer’s desired articulation. Performers must interpret and execute staccato in an appropriate stylistic manner for the piece.
Examples of Staccato Usage
Here are some examples of well-known musical works that prominently feature staccato notes:
- J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, first movement – the staccato theme creates a light, bouncing effect.
- Mozart – The Magic Flute Overture – crisp staccato articulation in the strings.
- Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight” – the third movement contains staccato octaves.
- Tchaikovsky – Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker – short staccato notes evoke the prancing character.
- Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring – the “Augurs of Spring” features biting staccato chords.
- Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5 – short bowed staccato notes provide a dance-like lilt.
Playing Staccato Well
Mastering staccato technique takes practice and musical sensitivity. Here are some tips for playing effective staccato:
- Use a crisp attack at the start of each note and cut it off decisively at the end.
- Pay attention to note lengths – don’t overshorten notes unless marked staccatissimo.
- Keep the energy up between notes – don’t allow gaps or pauses.
- Maintain tone quality without the sound collapsing.
- Emphasize the rhythm while keeping the overall tempo steady.
- Aim for uniformity between staccato notes so they are evenly detached.
- Listen for a consistent, buoyant effect across the musical line.
- Articulate the musical phrase well while detaching notes.
With dedicated practice of staccato technique, musicians can learn to add stylistic snap and sparkle to their playing.
Conclusion
Staccato is an important and widely used musical articulation that gives notes a short, detached character. The technique has a long history in Western classical music and continues to provide rhythmic energy and briskness in many contemporary genres. Whether used in an orchestral fanfare, a piano etude, or a jazz chart, staccato remains an indispensable tool for musicians to precisely articulate rhythms and add flair to melodies and accompaniments.