Staccato

As Printed on a Score

Usually shown by dots over or under the noteheads; the word or stacc. appears for whole passages — sempre staccato, stacc. sempre, staccato e leggiero — and lasts until legato, non legato or another articulation. In 18th- and early 19th-century scores dots and strokes were not consistently distinguished, so a printed wedge may simply mean staccato.

Abbreviations: stacc., stacc

How Composers Use It

Staccato notes are typically played at roughly half their written duration. Use staccato for bouncing, light textures, rhythmic clarity, or comic effect. In orchestration, staccato strings have a very different character from staccato winds — strings can bounce the bow (spiccato) while winds use tongue articulation.

Example

Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Scherzo — staccato strings create the fairy-like lightness that defines the piece.

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