What is Articulation?
Articulation is about how notes are performed: whether or not they are played smoothly or are short and sharp, and whether they are accented or not.
What is the difference between staccato and legato playing?
What is the correct musical term for plucking a violin?
What is a sforzando?
Writing about how notes are played
Staccato – short and spiky
Legato – smooth, all joined together
Slurred notes - a curved line either above or below notes that connects two different pitches that are to be played smoothly.
Tongued notes - the opposite of slurred notes. Woodwind players use a technique called tonguing to separate the notes slightly giving each one a clean start.
Tie - a curved line either above or below two of the same notes indicating not to attack the second note.
Tenuto - a line above or below the note means to play the full value of the note
Accent and sforzando – a note louder than those around it. Often indicated by the symbol >. A sforzando (sfz) is a particularly strong type of accent which really makes a note stand out.
Tremolo – very fast repetition of one note or very fast alternation between two notes
Pizzicato – plucking a string instrument
Arco – bowing a string instrument
Breath Mark - an apostrophe placed above the staff means to take a breath.