Staccato is an indication to play short, sharp notes (from the Italian for "detached"), as opposed to legato. Staccato, a form of articulation, is indicated by dots or short vertical strokes above or below the note. It should not be confused with the dot which increases a note's time value. Compare with portato and accent.

 

A series of staccato notes should be clearly separated from one another. In other words, the symbols indicate an effect which, otherwise, could be achieved only by inserting short rests in between each of the notes.

 

One problem with playing staccato is judging exactly how much shorter the note ought to be. It is, however, not an instruction so shorten the note as much as possible – to do that requires the performer to play staccatissimo.

 

The table below gives a rough and generally accurate interpretation of the various staccato marks, but it is not to be taken too literally or mathematically.