In the world of written music, every mark on a score conveys valuable information about how a piece should be performed—not just the pitches and rhythms, but also the way notes should be connected or separated. One of the most expressive and frequently used symbols in music notation is the legato symbol. It represents a smooth, connected style of playing or singing, where each note flows into the next without any perceptible break.
Understanding the legato symbol is crucial for musicians of all levels. Whether you’re a beginner learning your first piece or an advanced player interpreting nuanced works, recognizing and correctly performing legato passages will bring greater musicality and emotion to your playing. This article will explore what the legato symbol looks like, how it functions in scores, and how performers apply it across different instruments and styles.
What Is the Legato Symbol?
The legato symbol is typically represented in sheet music as a slur mark—a curved line that arches over or under two or more different notes. This symbol instructs the musician to perform the notes smoothly and connectedly, without any separation between them. It’s important to distinguish this from a tie, which also uses a curved line but connects two notes of the same pitch, indicating they should be held for the combined duration.
In most scores, the slur for legato can extend over a small group of notes (like a few within a single measure) or a longer phrase across several bars. It can appear above the notes if the stems face downward, or below the notes if the stems face upward, maintaining standard music engraving practices. Regardless of direction, the meaning remains consistent: play legato.
This simple curved line carries profound expressive weight. It’s one of the earliest articulation symbols students encounter and one that even professional musicians continue to refine in their playing.
>>View more: List 99+ Music Symbols and Their Functions
Meaning and Function of Legato Symbol
The function of the legato symbol is to guide articulation, which refers to how notes are executed in relation to one another. In the case of legato, this means that the transition from one note to the next should be as fluid and seamless as possible. It’s not just about eliminating gaps; it’s about creating a line of sound that feels continuous and expressive.
While the visual symbol (slur) is consistent across musical contexts, how it’s interpreted can vary depending on the instrument. On a piano, for instance, legato may involve carefully coordinated finger transitions and judicious use of the pedal. On string instruments, it often involves playing a series of notes in one smooth bow stroke. For wind and brass players, legato usually implies playing the notes in a single breath or using tonguing techniques to minimize attack.
Legato isn’t just technical—it’s emotional. It shapes melodies, connects ideas, and helps musicians convey the phrasing and mood intended by the composer. Mastering legato is not just about technique but also about understanding the expressive intent behind each line of music.
How to Identify Legato in a Score
Recognizing the legato symbol in a musical score is generally straightforward once you’re familiar with its appearance. The curved slur line usually spans multiple notes of different pitches, either ascending, descending, or a mix of both. These lines are generally smooth and arching, connecting the noteheads to indicate that they belong to a single legato phrase.
In some cases, a slur may cover only two notes, often signaling a minor phrasing detail. In other passages—especially lyrical or melodic lines—the slur might extend across an entire measure or longer, guiding the performer to maintain a sustained, uninterrupted musical line.
Sometimes, legato symbols appear above dynamics or expression markings. It’s essential to read them in context. When a score contains both phrasing slurs and articulations like staccato or accents, understanding how they interact can help prevent misinterpretation. Clear legato writing, especially in modern editions, often avoids such ambiguity, but in older or handwritten scores, musicians must use their judgment and stylistic awareness.
Learning to visually scan for slurs while reading a score is a key skill that will enhance both sight-reading and expressive performance.
Playing or Singing Legato
Executing legato effectively depends largely on your instrument or voice, but the goal remains the same: to connect notes smoothly with minimal interruption. Let’s look at how legato is approached across different musical disciplines:
- Piano: Pianists achieve legato by overlapping finger movements slightly and, when needed, using the damper pedal to sustain notes between finger lifts. However, relying solely on the pedal can lead to blurry articulation, so physical finger technique is crucial.
- Strings: On instruments like the violin or cello, legato involves playing multiple notes in a single bow stroke. The player must control the bow speed, pressure, and angle to ensure a smooth sound throughout the entire phrase.
- Winds and Brass: Legato playing in these families often requires using a slurred tonguing technique, where only the first note is tongued and subsequent notes are produced through airflow alone. This takes breath control and embouchure stability.
- Voice: Singers perform legato by smoothly connecting vowel sounds and using steady breath support. Any break between notes or syllables must be minimized to preserve the fluidity of the line.
No matter the instrument, legato requires not only physical coordination but also musical sensitivity. Listening critically—both to recordings and your own playing—is essential for refining your legato technique.
Common Mistakes and Misinterpretations
Legato is deceptively simple in appearance, but performers often fall into several common pitfalls when interpreting or executing it. One frequent mistake is confusing a legato slur with a phrasing slur. While both use similar curved lines, a phrasing slur may span longer sections and carry broader interpretive meaning, while legato slurs directly affect articulation between specific notes.
Another issue arises in overplaying the legato, making it overly smooth to the point of losing rhythmic clarity or dynamic contrast. On the other hand, underplaying it by not connecting the notes enough can result in a choppy, disconnected sound that contradicts the composer’s intent.
Instrument-specific mistakes are also common. For example, pianists may overly depend on the sustain pedal for legato, creating a muddy sound. Wind players might struggle with breath control, causing unintended gaps or accents between notes.
To avoid these issues, it’s crucial to understand the context of each slur and consider what articulation makes the most musical sense. Consulting recordings, working with a teacher, and recording your practice sessions can all help build a more accurate and expressive legato performance.
Practical Examples and Notated Excerpts
To better understand how legato is used in real music, it helps to see and hear it in context. Consider a simple phrase from Beethoven’s Für Elise, where the right-hand melody is marked with a slur. The notes are to be played smoothly, each one flowing into the next, giving the iconic melody its lyrical quality.
Another example can be found in vocal music, such as Schubert’s Ave Maria, where legato is essential for expressing the gentle, prayerful character of the piece. The slurs indicate how the singer should connect syllables, often across different vowels, to create a seamless melodic line.
In jazz or pop sheet music, legato may appear less frequently, but when it does, it often enhances melodic phrasing or solo lines. Even in these genres, understanding and applying legato correctly can elevate the expressiveness and professionalism of a performance.
Including visual notated excerpts on your website, paired with audio or MIDI playback, can further help learners hear and see legato in action—making it easier to internalize and reproduce in practice.
Related Symbols and Concepts
Legato does not exist in isolation; it’s part of a broader vocabulary of articulation marks. Understanding it in relation to staccato (short and detached), tenuto (held or stressed), and accent (emphasized) helps deepen your musical interpretation.
For example, a passage might feature alternating staccato and legato notes, requiring precise contrast. In some scores, combination markings like legato-staccato (slurred but with slight separation) add further nuance. Similarly, a tenuto mark under a legato slur suggests that each note should be both connected and slightly stressed.
Phrasing slurs, which may span longer sections of music, are another related concept. While they look like legato slurs, their purpose is more interpretive—indicating a complete musical idea or gesture, rather than just articulation.
Understanding how these symbols interact helps musicians make informed, expressive decisions during practice and performance.
The legato symbol may be just a simple curved line on the page, but it carries rich musical meaning. It invites performers to connect notes with elegance, fluidity, and emotional intent. Whether you’re reading a beginner etude or an advanced concerto, recognizing and interpreting the legato symbol is essential to bringing written music to life.
By learning how legato functions across instruments, avoiding common mistakes, and practicing with care, you can dramatically enhance your musical phrasing and expressive depth. The more attention you give to articulation, the more nuanced and compelling your performances will become.
Continue exploring MusicSymbols.me for deeper insights into other musical symbols and how they shape the language of music.
Evan Carter is an American music educator. With a background in Musicology and over 10 years of experience, he specializes in music theory and notation. Evan creates clear, accessible content to help learners of all levels understand the language of music through symbols, structure, and sound.
