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Definition of legato
: in a manner that is smooth and connected (as between successive tones) —used especially as a direction in music
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Origin and Etymology of legato
Italian, literally, tied
2
legato
noun
le·ga·to
Definition of legato
: a smooth and connected manner of performance (as of music); also : a passage of music so performed
Recent Examples of legato from the Web
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If his tone was sometimes assertive to the point of brashness, his amazing technical skills – among them a legato line that that few horn players possess – polished the music to a high gloss.
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In long stretches of coloratura, especially, her legato, while smooth, retained remarkable clarity of pitch and evenness of rhythm, flickering like a lambent flame.
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On Friday, his articulation, particularly for the left hand, was fascinating: often a mix of legato and detached notes that helped define and shape the phrases at ground level.
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The first movement has lyrical legato playing, kind of rhapsodic.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'legato.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of legato
1740
LEGATO Defined for English Language Learners
legato
play
adverb
Definition of legato for English Language Learners
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music : in a manner that is smooth and flowing
Seen and Heard
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