Mezzo staccato

As Printed on a Score

Usually shown by notation rather than words — staccato dots under a slur, or dots combined with tenuto lines — with the words added occasionally for clarity. It applies to the marked notes or the passage it heads, until another articulation.

How Composers Use It

Half-detached: notes slightly separated, with more length than staccato. On the piano it is the touch for gentle repeated chords; on strings it becomes portato, several notes pulsed in one bow; for winds, soft tonguing within the breath. Prefer the notation where possible and keep the word for passages where players might read the dots as true staccato.

Related Terms