Hear how one note joins the next
The same few notes can sing, speak lightly, or sparkle, depending on how you join and release them. This chapter gives you a chance to hear those differences without learning a new set of pitches. Touch concerns how notes begin, continue, and release, as well as their volume. Begin without pedal so you can hear the connections and gaps clearly.
- Legato: connect successive sounds without unintended gaps. A slur can indicate a connected group or phrase; listen for the join rather than squeezing the keys after the sound begins.
- Non legato (detached): leave a small audible space between notes. The unmarked middle version is labeled detached for this exercise; unmarked notation elsewhere does not automatically demand this touch.
- Staccato: shorten the sound, shown here by dots. The dot does not prescribe one exact fraction of the written duration. Keep the pulse steady and let the context determine how short is appropriate.
Try one hand at a time at mp, as though you were giving the same short phrase three different readings. Keep tempo and dynamic unchanged as you switch touch. Release the key enough to end the sound; a large upward movement is unnecessary. Short notes can be quiet, and connected notes can be strong.
Listening check: can someone identify the three versions without seeing your hands? If the only difference is volume, listen more closely to the releases.
Portato, tenuto, and accents
Portato combines a sense of grouping with gentle separation. Dots under a slur commonly suggest this touch. Try a small release between notes while hearing one phrase; it should not become a series of sharp jabs. Editions and styles vary, so the surrounding phrase matters.
Tenuto, shown by a short dash, asks for a note to be held or given appropriate weight. In this drill, sustain each note for its written duration without an unwanted gap. In repertoire it may also imply emphasis; it does not automatically mean louder or slower.
An accent gives a note local emphasis. It is relative to the phrase’s dynamic: an accent within p need not sound like a whole passage at f. Play the accented version with a clear beginning and an immediate release of unnecessary effort.
Change one thing at a time
- Compare legato and portato at the same dynamic.
- Compare quiet staccato and quiet tenuto, keeping the beat unchanged.
- Repeat the accented figure at p, then mf. Keep the emphasis local.
Let your ear lead these comparisons. You are looking for different sounds, with comfortable movement, rather than trying to hold the wrist still or strike from one prescribed joint. Later, Independent Articulation Between the Hands combines different touches simultaneously. Establish each touch separately first.