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

Shareholders last week approved the merger with U.S. special purpose acquisition company Legato Merger Corp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

It’s an impressive leap in visual effects, which included Favreau, cinematographer Caleb Descehanel and VFX chief Rob Legato making use of virtual-reality environments.

From Washington Times • Jul. 11, 2019

“Once you pioneer the technology for the first time and make the eye believe an animal is real, it becomes cheaper and cheaper,” Legato said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2017

Rob Legato, an effects supervisor, told the Hollywood Reporter that in the future, actors involved in big-budget blockbusters might need to have a variety of facial expressions digitally scanned, in case something were to happen.

From The Guardian • Nov. 17, 2015

The Advantage of Legato Over Staccato Is it better for me to practise more staccato or more legato?

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Hofmann, Josef