Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [articulation]

The technique which affects the transition or continuity on a single note or between multiple notes.

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On the piano, how should you play staccato with the pedal?

In some pieces, there is a pedal designation along with staccato. How should this be played?
xpda
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Notation - when to use staccato vs rests

I'm arranging a piece of music I wrote for string quartet, and I'm not sure what the most practical way of notating the following rhythm is. I'm self taught and rarely use written music, so I'm not sure how a classically trained musician would…
Innealtoir
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What is this upside down square fermata?

I was wondering what this marking means, it looks like an upside-down square fermata or an upside-down down bow marking with a dot. I found it in a piece for cello by Nadia Boulanger.
Kognise
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How does one maintain voice integrity when longer and shorter notes of the same pitch occur in two voices

Here is an excerpt from Bach's BWV 796, measures 8–9. (Unfortunately, ABCjs renders the ties in exactly the wrong direction!) X:1 T:Sinfonia No. 10 in G Major, BWV 796 M:3/4 C:J.S. Bach %%staves [(1 2)…
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What do the terms "arco" and "ten." mean?

I am following along with a score of Beethoven's first symphony. I came across two abbreviations, arco. and ten. What do those stand for?
Chris Olszewski
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How long is Staccato?

Question for skimmers: how do we know when to play portamento/portato or a dry staccato? Is it based on a date or composer? Or is a half-staccato still common practice? Sometime in college I played a timpani part and had a conversation like…
Josiah
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How to play same note legato?

This question is about this arrangement for a beginner (image below): http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_printit_free_printable_sheet_music/marriage-of-figaro-piano.htm There is one big slur over the first several bars. How am I supposed to play this?…
catalyst
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What is the proper name of the dash symbol over a note and how to play it

Can anyone specify the name of the particular symbol above the crotchet? According to Wikipedia it's called a Tenuto but my teacher said it's called a "dash". Which one is correct? Or are both names correct? Second of all, how exactly do you play…
Sazid Ahmad
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Slurs within slurs

How do I play the slurs with in the larger slur? Can you play this two ways? One big slur or individual slurs?
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Mystery bowing notation

A cellist friend asked if I had come across this coloured in cross marking (hourglass?) in bar 35 and it has me stumped. (Beethoven Sonatina, so you can discount any crazy new music articulation.) Have tried searching for a comprehensive string…
Tris Forster
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Meaning of dots below note heads

I’m learning music theory and I found a music sheet that I attach one part in a picture. If you see in the Treble Cleff, there are 8 eighth dotted notes and is a 4/4 signature. Like is a 4/4 is not supposed to be only the eighth notes alone without…
coerrace
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Articulation between staccato and full note length?

I'm transcribing liturgical choir music. I want to know is there an articulation that's longer then staccato but shorter then a note without an articulation. I have half notes that needs to be sung shorter but not as short as staccato. How do I…
Nachmen
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Is there a difference between a slur and legato?

Are legato and slur one and the same? If the two are different, how do I tell which the piece is using? I know the gist of them (as opposed to staccato) but I need to know the specifics. They are notated the same (I believe). I am speaking of a wind…
American Luke
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What does an arc mean above the notes in a piano sheet music? How do I play it?

See the picture above. Is there a website where these (perhaps not so basic) notations are collected? UPDATE: I see Wikipedia has a nice collection of musical notations. How do I play the slur on the piano? The slur example on Wikipedia is not to…
Ali
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I don't recognize the symbol on top of this note. What is it, and how does it affect the note?

This is a picture of the note and the symbol. It's part of a blues trombone solo. I would like to know what the symbol is and how I should play it.
Rachel J
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