Staccato

What it is

Staccato means short and separated. Each note is played for less than its written duration, with silence filling the remainder. In notation it is a dot above or below the note head. Use the free note identification to check yourself on this. More of this kind of thing is in the bowing section.

That definition is simple. What it means in practice is not, because staccato on the violin can be produced several different ways and the dot does not specify which.

A staccato dot is an instruction about the resulting sound, not about the bow technique used to produce it. Deciding which stroke serves the passage is part of the player's job.

The ways it is produced

On the string. The bow makes a short stroke and stops, remaining in contact with the string during the silence. This is essentially a small martele. It gives a solid, grounded articulation and works at moderate tempos.

Off the string. The bow leaves the string between notes, which is spiccato. Lighter and more brilliant, and the standard choice for fast passages.

In one bow direction. Several staccato notes within a single stroke, which is flying staccato or ricochet depending on tempo and control.

With a slur marking. Dots under a slur mean the notes are separated but share a bow. Whether that is portato, flying staccato or ricochet depends on the period, tempo and context.

How short is short

There is no fixed answer, and this is where interpretation matters.

A common working guideline is roughly half the written value, but that varies enormously. Staccato in a Baroque piece is typically less short than staccato in a Classical piece. Staccato at a fast tempo is proportionally shorter than at a slow one. Staccato marked piano tends to be shorter and lighter than staccato marked forte.

The character of the music decides. A dance movement, a march and a scherzo all use staccato differently.

Students often want a rule. The honest answer is that the ear decides, informed by style.

How it varies by period

Baroque. Notes are separated but retain some length and weight. Often produced on the string. The separation articulates rather than shortens.

Classical. Crisper and lighter. Spiccato becomes common. The dots in this repertoire usually mean genuinely short.

Romantic. Varies widely. Some staccato is light and quick, some is heavy and accented, and the dynamic and character markings usually indicate which.

Contemporary. Anything the composer specifies, and modern scores are usually more explicit than earlier ones.

Editions add markings that composers did not write, so a dot in a printed part is not always evidence of the composer's intention.

What goes wrong

Choosing the wrong stroke. A student plays everything spiccato regardless of tempo or character, or everything on the string. The dot needs interpreting rather than executing.

Too short. Notes become clipped and the line disappears. Even short notes need enough length to have pitch and tone.

Uneven length. Some notes short, some not, so the passage sounds accidental rather than articulated.

Losing the sound. Producing separation by playing quietly rather than by shortening. The note should be short, not weak.

Tension. Staccato invites gripping, especially at speed.

How it is notated

A dot above or below the note head. Never beside it, which would be a dotted rhythm.

A wedge means staccatissimo, shorter and more pointed.

Dots under a slur mean separated notes in one bow.

Dashes under a slur mean portato, which is gentler.

Where you meet it

Everywhere, in every period, in every kind of writing. It is one of the two or three most common articulation markings in music.

Students meet it in their first months and continue interpreting it for the rest of their playing lives, because the marking is constant and its meaning is not.

How it is taught

We start on the string, with a short martele-style stroke, because the control is easier to build there.

Then spiccato staccato, once bouncing is established.

Then the interpretive question: given this tempo, this style and this character, which stroke serves the passage? That question is asked repeatedly in lessons rather than answered once.

Staccato in an ensemble

Section staccato is one of the clearest tests of ensemble discipline, because note length is very exposed when many players are supposed to match.

If some players are playing spiccato and others on the string, the section produces two different articulations simultaneously and the effect is muddy rather than crisp.

Section leaders specify which stroke to use for this reason, and bowings are marked in parts partly to ensure articulation matches.

Practising it

The most useful exercise is playing the same passage several ways: on the string, off the string, shorter, longer. Hearing the options makes the interpretive choice concrete rather than theoretical.

The second is checking length against a recording or against the teacher, because students consistently misjudge how short their staccato actually is. Most beginners believe they are playing shorter than they are.

We teach private and group violin lessons across Sugar Hill, Cumming and Sandy Springs. Bring bow technique like Staccato to a first lesson and we will build the plan around it. book a no-commitment evaluation lesson or call 470-789-2422.