Explore Articulation Marks with music dictionary guides to staccato, legato, accents, tenuto, slurs, and expressive note shaping.
The tenuto mark is a musical articulation symbol indicating that a note should be held for its full written value, often with a slight emphasis. It is written as a horizontal line placed above or below a note head and is common in classical and contemporary scores.
In music notation, an accent is an articulation mark indicating that a note should be emphasized more strongly than surrounding notes. It affects dynamics, attack, and sometimes duration, giving the passage a sharper, more pronounced character.
A slur is a curved line placed over or under a group of notes in musical notation, indicating that they should be played smoothly and connected, typically as a single phrase or legato passage.
A breath mark is a small notation symbol that indicates where a performer should take a brief breath or pause, helping to shape phrasing without affecting the measured rhythm.
The legato mark, commonly rendered as a curved line (slur) connecting two or more notes, indicates that they should be played smoothly without perceptible separation. It is a fundamental articulation symbol used across a wide range of musical styles.
A tie is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, indicating that they should be sounded as a single sustained tone whose duration equals the combined values of the tied notes. Unlike a slur, a tie does not affect articulation, only length.
A phrase mark is a curved line placed above or below a staff that indicates the beginning and end of a musical phrase. It helps performers shape the music by showing how groups of notes should be connected and articulated as a single expressive unit.
A fermata is a musical notation indicating that a note, chord, or rest should be held longer than its written value. The exact duration is left to the performer’s discretion, often guided by the surrounding musical context.
A staccato mark is a small dot placed above or below a notehead indicating the note should be played short and detached, creating a crisp, punctuated sound.
A glissando is a continuous slide between two pitches, performed by moving smoothly across the pitch spectrum. In notation it is shown as a straight or wavy line connecting the notes to be slid.