Léger

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff (between the staves in piano music) at the passage it describes, alone or inside a heading — Assez animé, léger, gai — and qualified as très léger or bien égal et léger. It lasts until the character or texture changes; it carries no dynamic of its own.

Also spelled: leger

How Composers Use It

Léger asks for lightness of touch or bow — little weight, quick release, a buoyant pulse — and is the French counterpart of leggiero. It describes the quality of each attack rather than its length, so it suits running figures, repeated notes and accompaniments that must not thicken. It works at any dynamic, but at f it needs a qualifier or players will lean into the keys and strings.

Example

Debussy, Ariettes oubliées, “Chevaux de bois”, piano, m. 9: “léger” arrives with a p after two bars of sf accents.

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