legato

American  

[luh-gah-toh, le-gah-taw] / ləˈgɑ toʊ, lɛˈgɑ tɔ /

adjective

Music.

1. smooth and connected; without breaks between the successive tones.

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legato British  

/ lɪˈɡɑːtəʊ /

adjective

1. to be performed smoothly and connectedly

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noun

1. 1. a style of playing in which no perceptible gaps are left between notes

   2. ( as modifier )

      a legato passage

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonlegato
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of legato

1805–15; < Italian, past participle of legare < Latin ligāre to bind

Explanation

If you see the word legato in your sheet music, it's telling you to play or sing in a smooth, flowing way, with all the notes connected. The word legato is Italian, and it literally means "tied together." If you're playing or singing a melody legato, it's as if each note is tied to the one before it and after it, forming a continuous flow of sound. The opposite of legato is staccato, where each note is played briefly and separately, producing a choppy sound.

Example Sentences

He didn’t just spin legato lines in the searching, conversational Nocturne; he expounded entire legato paragraphs in an eloquent, unbroken stream of consciousness.

From New York Times • May 5, 2023

Alternating between legato and staccato, her tone practically bounced off the harpsichord, and she tumbled gracefully through intricate passagework.

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2023

Out of that delicately manic lyric, the melody slows, legato: “Yeah, I’m constantly / tryna fight somethin’ that my eyes can’t see ...”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2023

For “Eleanor Rigby,” the Beatles recorded versions of Martin’s backup arrangement with a string octet using lush classical vibrato and legato phrasing, but they wisely chose a brusque, woody attack instead.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2022

Other notes may be marked with a combination of articulation symbols, for example legato with accents.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones