What Is “Staccato” And How Do I Play It?
Staccato Notation
By its simplest definition, staccato is the execution of play in which the finger is instantly bounced off the key, producing a very brief sound with absolutely no sustain. Basically, it’s a very swift and quick “plunk” of the piano key or keys.
Playing staccato ensures that the backcheck is not engaged and the damper cuts off the piano’s sound immediately after the key is pressed. There are two music notations to denote staccato, the normal (dot) and hard (triangle). For normal staccato, the jack is released, while in hard staccato, the finger moves up and down much more quickly and leaves the key before the jack is released.
So, when playing in normal staccato, the key drop is generally about half way down, while in hard staccato, the key drop is usually less than half way down. The damper returns to the strings more rapidly, thus resulting in a shorter note duration. Since the backcheck is not engaged, the hammer can actually bounce and make repetitions seem very tricky depending on speed of playing.
In staccato, there is no sustain. Play the staccato notes as if they all include rests after each of them.
I, myself, have experienced problems executing staccato at relatively quick speeds. This happens with many piano players, usually because it is being played at the wrong frequency where the hammer bounces the wrong way. Changing the speed and the amount of key drop will help optimize the sound staccato and correct execution.
Considering the fact that I’ve talked a lot about key drops and hammers, you should know that it really helps to understand how a piano works to learn how to play staccato correctly. Staccato can be divided into three groups depending on how it is played:
Finger Staccato. This is played by holding the hand and arm still, using the finger to press the key in a pull motion.
Wrist Staccato. This is played with a very neutral motion. The hand neither pulls nor thrusts, and is mostly played with a flick of the wrist, or wrist action.
Arm Staccato. This is played using a thrusting motion, with the upper arm executing the motion.
As you progress from finger staccato toward wrist staccato and arm staccato, you’ll likely discover a number of new things. Working toward wrist and arm staccato adds more mass behind your fingers. Therefore, using finger staccato will give you the ability to produce the lightest staccato, and is mostly used for single notes, or notes played pianissimo. Obviously, arm staccato allows you to use the heaviest touch and is useful four passages that use a number of notes and/or chords and which are generally played forte. Wrist staccato lies there somewhere in between.
Elise’s Musical Tip For The Day:
Some music teachers frown upon the use of some staccato plays (specifically, wrist staccato), but it is generally very useful to become familiar with all three types. Changing between the three types of staccato can help reduce fatigue during a long piece. Body movement plays an integral part in playing in staccato, and you must learn to use the weight of your body to execute the sound, while remaining relaxed at the same time so as not to produce stress over the course of playing the passage or composition. To vary the speed of staccato you must remember that staccato repetition is controlled by the amount of up and down motions. Therefore, the smaller the motion, the faster the rate of repetition.
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