Articulation: Legato, Staccato, and Accents on the Violin

Articulation is how each note speaks — smooth, short, punched, connected. On the violin it's almost entirely a bow skill, which is why it's where playing starts to sound expressive.

The common markings

• Legato — smooth and connected. Often shown by a slur (a curved line over several notes), meaning play them in one bow stroke, with no break between.
• Staccato — short and detached, marked by a dot above or below the note. Stop the bow between notes to leave space.
• Accent (>) — give the note extra attack and weight at the start.
• Tenuto (—) — hold the note its full length, slightly stressed, smoothly.

Slur vs tie — don't confuse them

A slur curves over notes of different pitches (play smoothly, one bow). A tie curves over the same pitch (hold as one longer note). They look alike but mean different things — see Ties, Dots, and Rests.

It's all in the bow

• Legato = a smooth, continuous bow with seamless changes.
• Staccato = small, controlled stops.
• Accent = a quick burst of bow speed and weight at the note's start.

Practise it cleanly

Work articulation slowly with the metronome so the short notes stay even and the slurred notes stay smooth. Clean articulation is what separates "playing the notes" from "playing the music."