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Standard notation indicates legato either with the word legato, or by a slur (a curved line) under notes that form one legato group. Legato, like staccato , is a kind of articulation. There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non-legato (sometimes referred to as portato ).
A slur is a symbol in Western musical notation indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation).A slur is denoted with a curved line generally placed over the notes if the stems point downward, and under them if the stems point upwards.
String instruments use these methods to achieve different articulations, varying the speed, pressure, and angle of the bow or pick. Musicians use articulation to create a link between notes, such as legato. Legato is formed by letting the string vibrate without stopping or muting it so the note slurs with the consecutive ones.
In the first example, Rodolfo's first aria in La sonnambula (1831), the portamento is indicated by the slur between the third and fourth notes. The second example, Judit's first line in Bluebeard's Castle (1912) by composer Béla Bartók, employs an inclining, wavy line between the fourth and fifth notes to indicate a continuous, steady rise in pitch.
[1] [4] Currently, portato is sometimes indicated in words, by "mezzo-staccato" or "non-legato"; or can be shown by three graphic forms: a slur that encompasses a phrase of staccato notes (the most common), or; a tenuto above a staccato mark (very often), or; a slur that encompasses a phrase of tenuto notes (less common). [5]
For example, when making a p sound, the lips come together tightly, blocking the air momentarily and causing a buildup of air pressure. The lips then release suddenly, causing a burst of sound. The place of articulation of this sound is therefore called bilabial, and the manner is called stop (also known as a plosive).
The opposite musical articulation of staccato is legato, signifying long and continuous notes. [6] There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non legato . For wind and bowed string instruments in particular, staccato is often also associated with a faster attack, potentially involving a different bowing or tonguing ...
The frequency of a sound is defined as the number of repetitions of its waveform per second, and is measured in hertz; frequency is inversely proportional to wavelength (in a medium of uniform propagation velocity, such as sound in air). The wavelength of a sound is the distance between any two consecutive matching points on the waveform.