A POWERFUL EFFECT TO YOUR SINGING OR PLAYING PIANO!

Staccato in Italian means detached or disconnected, applied to singing or playing piano the technique is with individual short, clear-cut notes with a small rest (silence) at the end of each note. It is the opposite of legato, which means to sing or play the notes smoothly and connected.

Staccato is a short note (not holding it); it’s separated from the other notes that may follow. When singing staccato, it is a quick, precise, cut short, detached note or notes. To sing staccato, keep your larynx in a neutral position and sing short attack with a quick rapid release. The notes can range from short to very short which is staccatissimo. Listen to the video attached with Lily singing with staccatos.

When playing a staccato on piano, you make your fingers jump like a jumping bean which creates a dramatic effect to your piano performance. The staccato adds depth and texture to your playing. See Vivian Nguyen play “Energico” on the piano with short, detached staccato notes at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY_Q8VZfSaI, you’ll love it!

In music notation a staccato is a dot placed above or below the note. The staccatissimo is a little pike or wedge (like a triangle) going above or below the note, depending on if the stem of the note is going up or down. Listen to Lily Toreja singing “Still Into You” with some short, crisp staccato notes as she sings.

JOKE FOR THE DAY:

What’s the difference between a baritone saxophone and a chain saw?  The exhaust.