As pianists, we have to work especially hard to play in a legato style. When we depress a key at the piano, the resulting sound immediately fades. Even when we depress the sustain pedal, the sound will eventually die. As a result, we have to find creative ways of achieving a legato sound. This PDF explores how Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt approached legato playing as performers and pedagogues.
In Italian, legato literally means 'tied' or 'bound.' In music, legato is a term that instructs us to play in a smooth, connected style with no audible breaks between notes. In this way, legato is a kind of articulation, often contrasted with staccato ('detached') articulation. While we have to master all kinds of articulations as pianists, we are already well on our way to success if we begin by practicing our legato!
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