Legato
In a smooth, continuous way
"Legato" is a musical term that describes a smooth and connected style of playing or singing. It instructs performers to transition between notes seamlessly, without any noticeable gaps or breaks in sound. The word "legato" itself comes from the Italian word for "tied together", highlighting the goal of maintaining a continuous flow of sound.
In legato playing or singing, the transitions between notes are smooth and seamless, as if they are connected rather than individual notes. This technique requires the performer or singer to minimize gaps between notes as much as possible to achieve a coherent and smooth musical expression:
- For stringed instrument players: Legato implies maintaining a smooth bowing technique while playing the notes to ensure that the sound flows continuously, rather than being disjointed. This often requires precise bow control and skill.
- For piano players: Legato requires using a connected finger technique to make the transitions and tone changes between notes smooth. This technique helps create gentle, flowing melodies.
- For vocalists: Legato involves avoiding interruptions in breathing while singing, allowing the notes to flow smoothly from one to the next. This contributes to the expressiveness of a song, making it easier to convey emotions to the audience.
Legato is often indicated in sheet music using short-horizontal line placed above or below the notes. This marking serve as a visual guide for performers, reminding them to connect the indicated notes smoothly.
Legato playing or singing is commonly contrasted with staccato, which instructs performers to play or sing notes with short, detached articulation. By mastering legato technique, musicians can bring out the expressive qualities of a piece, convey emotional nuances, and create a sense of musical cohesion.
Example of Legato
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G Song by Terry Riley
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.
