## Legato

Legato means play smoothly and connected, with each note lasting until the next one begins.

On the piano it is a finger skill: you hold one key until the moment the next sounds, so there is no gap. It is what makes a melody sound sung rather than typed.


## How To Spot Legato

The word legato under the staff, or a long slur curving over a group of notes.


## Find It In Thirty Seconds

Play five notes and listen for a gap between any two. If you hear one, you lifted early — hold each key until the next sounds.

Open any piece of sheet music on this site and do it now. Reading is a recognition skill, and recognition is built by finding things, not by reading about them.