What does staccato mean?
Word: Staccato
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: short and sharply separated, with a clear gap between one note or sound and the next.
How do you spell staccato?
Syllables: stac - ca - to
Tricky part: The c is doubled, and pupils often write it once or swap it for a k.
Watch out for: stacato, stackato, stakato
Memory tip: Two clipped notes on the piano, two c's in the word.
Staccato in a sentence
Example 1: Rain fell on the tin roof in a staccato rhythm.
Example 2: Our music teacher wants a lighter, staccato touch in the opening bars.
Example 3: The tabla player answered with a quick staccato pattern.
Fun Fact
The word is Italian for detached. In sheet music a small dot above or below a note tells the player to make it staccato.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. cresendo 2. staccato 3. sympony 4. rythm
a) played with a crisp break after each note
b) a gradual increase in loudness
c) a regular pattern of beats
d) a long piece for an orchestra
Show answer
a) played with a crisp break after each note. Staccato alone is correct; crescendo, rhythm and symphony are how the others should be spelt.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct three letters to form a word:
st_cc_t_
a) o, a, o
b) a, a, a
c) a, o, o
d) a, a, o
Show answer
d) a, a, o. Italian gives the word two a's, and the same vowel that ends piano closes it.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
staccatto
a) s
b) c
c) t
d) o
Show answer
c) t. Only one t comes before the closing vowel.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word staccato as used in the sentence:
The violinist switched to a staccato style in the middle section of the piece.
a) jerky
b) choppy
c) abrupt
d) legato
Show answer
d) legato. Legato means smoothly joined, the opposite style; the other three choices are close to the word in the sentence.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. How should a pianist play a passage marked staccato?
a) holding the pedal down from start to end
b) joining every note smoothly to the next
c) lifting the fingers quickly after each note
d) playing as softly as possible throughout
Show answer
c) lifting the fingers quickly after each note
2. Which sound is best described as staccato?
a) a long sigh of the evening wind
b) a slow river flowing over stones
c) a woodpecker tapping on a tree
d) a soft hum from a kitchen fridge
Show answer
c) a woodpecker tapping on a tree
