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Music vocabulary · Performance and Practice

Staccato

Meaning in music, with examples

adverbCommon term

In music, staccato means: With notes made shorter and clearly separated from one another, creating distinct attacks and spaces in the musical line.

In Turkish: staccato, kesik çalarak

How it is used

Often shown by dots above or below notes. The exact length depends on style and tempo; it does not always mean half the written duration.

Example sentences

  1. Play the repeated notes staccato so each one stands out clearly.

    Shortening the notes leaves audible gaps between the repeated attacks.

  2. The clarinet section made the staccato lighter after the conductor's comment.

    The players adjust the character of the detached notes, not simply the written pitches.

Common collocations

  • staccato notes
  • staccato articulation
  • light staccato
  • articulationThe way notes are started, connected, separated, or accented in performance, shaping clarity and musical character.
  • noteA single musical sound with a particular pitch and length, or the written symbol that shows it. In English, notes are named with the letters A to G.
  • conductorThe person who leads an orchestra or choir, setting the tempo, showing entries and shaping the performance with hand movements or a baton.

More terms: Performance and Practice

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