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Rhythmic

Notation

Charts

Rhythmic Articulations

There is another way we can fine tune the duration of any note. We do this by using either a staccato mark or a tenuto mark.

Staccato

If we want a note to sound for an extremely short duration, we use a staccato mark ("."). A staccato mark is simply a small dot placed directly above or below a note:

When a staccato mark is placed above or below a note, it instructs the musician to perform the note for a very brief duration. The staccato note does not affect the music's tempo.

Let's listen to a score with no additional rhythmic articulations:

Now listen to that same musical passage when it is notated with the addition of staccato marks:

Tenuto

Conversely, we can insure that an individual note is held for its full duration. We do that by using a tenuto mark ("-"). A tenuto mark looks like a minus sign and is placed directly above or below a note.

Listen to what the previous excerpt sounds like with a combination of tenuto and staccato marks. Notice that the tenuto marking also indicates a slight emphasis to each note: