A musical instruction to play notes in a smooth, connected manner without noticeable breaks between them, creating a flowing, seamless line.
From Italian legato, literally meaning 'tied' or 'bound,' from Latin ligatus, past participle of ligare 'to bind.' The term reflects how notes are 'tied together' smoothly.
Legato is the musical equivalent of cursive writing—it connects notes into flowing phrases that can express everything from tender love songs to soaring operatic arias! Singers naturally use legato because it follows the breath, which is why the technique developed first in vocal music before instrumentalists learned to imitate it.
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