Accentuation and Articulation
This lesson shows you how to read and perform the signs and terms of accentuation: the slur, staccato, staccatissimo, portato, the accents and the arpeggio.
In a musical phrase, some notes must be stressed with more or less force, or given a particular inflection, just like the syllables of a word. This accentuation, which today we usually call articulation, gives the phrase relief, makes it stand out and holds the listener's attention. It is shown by signs and by Italian terms. Let's go through the signs one by one.
1. The slur
Placed over a series of different pitches, the slur means you connect them and sustain the sound, without any break. This is called legato.
On string instruments, a slur means you play the notes in a single bow stroke; if you sing, you take them on a single breath, on one syllable.
2. The two-note slur: lean and release
Now place the slur over two different pitches, the second shorter than the first. This time it means you lean on the first and let the second fade away, like the unstressed second syllable of a word such as “GEN-tle” or “TA-ble”.
3. The dot: detached notes
A dot placed above or below the notes, not after them, means they must be detached: this is staccato. You detach them more or less lightly depending on whether the tempo is faster or slower.
4. The wedge: staccatissimo
The wedge, which Danhauser calls an “elongated dot”, is a small vertical stroke or a small wedge above or below the note. It means the notes are played staccatissimo, or “piqué” in French: detached with energy and attacked incisively.
5. Dots under a slur: portato
When you see dots and a slur together, the notes are only separated from one another and placed a little heavily. This is portato, “notes portées” in French. For string instruments, Danhauser specifies that this marking indicates detached notes played within a single bow stroke.
6. Accents
The sign ^, a vertical wedge sometimes called a “housetop” accent, placed above or below one or more notes, means they must be stressed more strongly than the notes before and after them.
The sign > asks for a stronger attack followed immediately by a decrease in volume: you strike the note, then let it fade.
7. The arpeggio
The arpeggio, from the Italian “arpa”, harp, is shown by a vertical wavy line in front of a chord. You then play the notes of the chord quickly, one after another, starting from the lowest, and you hold them. Danhauser specifies that this sign applies to keyboard instruments, and you will also find it in music for harp and guitar.
Terms of accentuation
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Forte piano | fp | Loud attack, followed immediately by soft |
| Legato | leg. | Smoothly connected (goes with the slur or replaces it) |
| Legatissimo | legatiss. | As connected as possible |
| Leggiero | legg. | Lightly |
| Marcato | marc. | Marked, emphasized |
| Pesante | pes. | Heavy, weighty |
| Rinforzando | rinf., rfz | Reinforcing the sound |
| Sforzando | sfz | With a sudden burst of force |
| Sostenuto | sost. | Well sustained |
| Staccato | stacc. | Detached |
| Tenuto | ten. | Held for its full value |
Observe these markings carefully: they are bound up with phrasing and help you express the composer's thought faithfully. Danhauser gives here only the signs common to all instruments. Signs specific to one instrument, such as the 0 for an open string, con sordino or pizzicato, are found in instrumental methods.
Name the articulation in each measure and explain how to perform it.