What does legato mean in music?

Bowing & articulation

Legato

Italian, "tied together"

Legato is playing notes smoothly connected with no audible gap between them; on a string instrument it usually means several notes under one bow, indicated by a slur.

On a piano legato is a matter of finger overlap; on a string instrument it is a matter of bow distribution. Notes under a single slur share one bow stroke, so the player must plan how much bow each note gets, a long note near the tip that runs out of bow will die mid-phrase.

True legato also requires the left hand to cooperate: fingers should be placed before the previous one lifts, so the string never sounds an unfingered pitch in between. Where a passage crosses strings under a slur, the bow arm has to change level smoothly enough that the crossing is inaudible, which is why slurred string crossings are a standard étude subject.

Slur: A slur is a curved line over two or more different pitches indicating they should be played smoothly connected, on strings, in a single bow stroke.
Détaché: Détaché is the basic string bowing in which each note gets its own bow stroke, changing direction between notes while the bow stays on the string.
Phrase: A phrase is a complete musical thought, typically four or eight bars ending in a cadence, and it is the unit that shapes how music is performed.
Portamento: Portamento is an audible slide between two pitches, produced on a string instrument by shifting while the bow keeps the string sounding.

Every term in this glossary is taught in context somewhere in Arco's curricula, on the staff, on the keyboard, and on your own fingerboard at the same time.

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