January 18, 2026
About the Author: Sonja Joubert
Most students, when starting to play the piano, have no idea about legato playing or staccato playing.
When a student starts to learn, all these concepts are new.
Legato playing is a very fundamental and important part of piano playing and you have to have a good grip on what legato really is, how it sounds and how to execute it.
Staccato is in a sense the opposite of legato playing and is clearly indicated with small dots placed on top of notes on your score. is playing notes with a very short sound. The note is not kept down. You will be jumping off the notes very quickly to create this short sound.
Portamento playing is something in between legato playing and staccato playing. It can be seen as playing sounds in a loose way. Not joined as in legato, but it is also not short as in staccato.
Let’s Look at Legato Playing
Legato is an Italian term used and it means to play smoothly, moving from one sound to the next without breaks in between.
The best way to illustrate is by singing a melody line.
When singing a well known melody, you join the line or melody and words without breathing between every word you sing. So there is a smooth moving or connecting from one note to the next.
This is important to be able to create the same flowing, smoothly joined sounds (notes) on your piano. It means there are no gaps of sound between melody notes, only when needed or clearly shown.
In piano playing, playing legato is normally done continuously until it’s clear that there is a break or an indication for staccato or portamento.
In legato playing, think smooth, even, and connected—yet without overlapping into the next sound.
Legato is never written on your score as it’s a natural thing to expect the player to always use legato whenever possible unless otherwise indicated.
So How Will You Execute Legato Playing on the Piano?
When playing, think of fingers walking one to the next.
It’s very much like walking.
When you walk you put one foot down and the other is picked up. Only when the next foot is put down does the first foot lift.
Using your ear to hear the smoothness of sound is majorly important.
Piano playing is all about hearing what you are playing. Use your ears to listen if the sounds are beautifully joined or not.
Also make sure that the sounds are not kept over one another.
Clearness in legato playing is important for good playing. Your ears are the judges and soon you will be able to clearly ‘hear’ good legato versus not good legato playing.
Let’s Look at Staccato Playing
Staccato playing is always a treat for me to play as I love the feel of bouncing off the keys!
This is what happens with staccato playing.
Staccato is once again an Italian term used for short detached or disconnected sounds (notes).
How Is Staccato Playing Indicated?
Staccato is shown on your sheet music by dots placed over the notes.
When reading your music be aware of any dots on top or sometimes under the notes.
These dots means you have to play short detached notes and not legato.
How Do I Play Staccato Notes on the Piano?
The best way to play staccato is to think about bouncing off the keys.
You want to create a short and detached crispy sound. Use your rounded finger or hand to jump off the key you played with an upward movement.
Try to be as relaxed as possible and let the wrist be very loose.
Then let it fall back or bounce back or ‘spring’ back.
You will soon get the feel of how to do it and as with any other sport like tennis etc. you will soon get the right feel and enjoy the bounce of staccato playing!
When playing staccato think –
- Short and disconnected
- Detached
- Bounce
- Spring back
- Non-legato
Staccato playing is a lot of fun!
Do find a lovely staccato piece to play.
It is often full of joy and exuberance.
Portamento Playing
Portamento is often indicated by a slur or phrase mark over staccato dots on the notes.
This indicates long stressed staccato or rather portamento playing.
Portamento is somewhere between legato and staccato.
It means it’s not played smoothly yet it’s not short, but yes, it is nearly detached or slightly detached.
One could probably think of portamento as a long weighted staccato.
How Is Portamento Played?
Portamento is not executed by bouncing off the keys like in staccato, but rather to give a bit of weight to each note being played yet not really joining it to the next.
It’s a bit like brushing the key or feeling the keys rather than jumping off, as in staccato, and yet not joining it to the next note either as in legato playing.
Listening to a piano player playing some portamento notes will help you to hear the sounds needed.
It’s lovely to have all these different sounds or ways to play notes!
It creates different sounds and emotions and enjoyment.
It gives character to a tune that will otherwise maybe be boring!
Always give attention to the indications for staccato playing or portamento. It enhances your music bringing it life and rhythm and enjoyment!
Enjoy experimenting by playing in these various ways!
Would you like to refine your legato, sharpen your staccato, and master expressive portamento with confidence?
At London Piano Institute, our expert teachers guide adult learners in developing beautiful touch, control, and musical expression through focused, structured piano lessons.
Enrol today and bring clarity, character, and elegance to your piano playing!
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