Expressive Elements in Music Performance
Senior 3 · Music
Expressive Elements in Music Performance
Lesson 2 of 4
25 min
Count "rimwe, kabiri, gatatu, kane" as short, separate taps, then count it again as one smooth flow. The syllables and the speed are the same; what changes is how each sound starts and ends and whether it joins the next. In music this is called articulation. Composers show it with small signs written just above or below the noteheads.
Definition
Articulation: the way a note is started, held and ended, and how it is joined to the next note. Example: a dot over a note asks for a short, detached sound.
Staccato (a dot): short and detached; the note is cut to about half its value and the rest is silence.
Legato (a curved slur over or under notes of different pitch): smooth and joined, with no gap between the notes.
Accent (>): play the note with extra stress at its start. Tenuto (a short line –): hold the note for its full value, with slight weight.
Pause or fermata (an arc with a dot): hold the note or rest longer than its written value, as long as the performer or conductor chooses.
Dots, accents and tenuto lines are written at the notehead, on the side away from the stem. A slur is drawn from the first to the last note it joins. A pause sign always goes above the staff (or below it when it is upside down).
Each crotchet below is one beat long on paper. The coloured bars show how long the sound really lasts:
| Sign | Name | How to perform it | For singers |
|---|---|---|---|
| dot | staccato | short, detached, light | a quick, clean consonant, then silence |
| slur ⌒ | legato | smooth, no gaps | one breath, the vowels flowing into each other |
| > | accent | stressed start, then normal | a firmer start to the syllable |
| – | tenuto | full length, slightly weighted | hold the vowel to the end of the beat |
| arc with dot | pause (fermata) | hold longer, then continue | watch the conductor for the release |
| ^ | marcato | strongly marked, stronger than an accent | a very firm, separated attack |
Worked example
Worked example 1: slur or tie? Two curved lines appear in a song. One joins a G to the next G; the other joins a G to an A. What does each mean?
Worked example
Worked example 2: read a bar. A bar of four-four has four crotchets: the first with an accent, the second and third with staccato dots, the fourth with a tenuto line. How do you play it?
Clap or sing the scale of C going up four times: first all staccato, then all legato in one breath, then with an accent on every first note of four, then with a pause on the top note. A partner, with eyes closed, names the articulation each time. Then sing a familiar song with the articulation you think suits its words, and explain your choice.
Video: "How to Read Music, Part 17: Articulation, Staccato, Legato, Accents", Study Music Theory. It shows how each note starts and stops under each mark. Watch for the difference between a slur and a tie.
Tip
Staccato is about silence. A staccato note is not played faster or louder; it is shorter, with more silence after it. Keep the beat steady and let the gaps do the work.
Warning
Common mistakes. (1) Treating a slur like a tie and leaving out the second note. (2) Playing accents as a crescendo: an accent stresses one note only. (3) Holding a pause for ever: in a group, the conductor shows when to release.
Practice
Remember
Sources and credits
