marcato

Definition:

The Italian musical command marcato is most commonly seen as a symbol ( >) written above notes on the staff to mark them with emphasis.
See staccato and sforzando.

Also Known As:

  • accent
  • accentato (It)

Related Lessons
• French Musical Terms
• Helmholtz Pitch Notation
• Find Middle C on Smaller Keyboards
More on the Piano Keyboard
• Piano Keyboard Layout
• Pattern of the Black Piano Keys
• How to Safely Whiten Piano Keys
Beginner Musical Symbols
• Essential Articulation Marks
• What Are Accidentals?
• How to Read Music Rests
Piano Lessons
• Memorize the Notes of the Grand Staff
• Left Hand Piano Fingering
• How to Play Dotted Notes
• Musical Quizzes!
Piano Chords With Fingering
• Chord Types & Their Abbreviations
• Easy Bass Piano Chords
• Piano Chord Fingering
• Diminished Chords & "Dissonance"
Musical Glossaries
• Italian Musical Glossary
• Beginner Piano Glossary
• German Music Terms
• Musical Terms A – Z
Piano Terms & Musical Symbols
• Reading Musical Rests & Pauses
• Accidentals & Double-Accidentals
• Note Accents & Articulation Marks
• Mastering Segno & Coda Repeats
Piano Care
• Safely Whiten Piano Keys
• When to Tune a Piano
• 6 Easy-to-Spot Signs of Piano Damage
• Ideal Temperature & Humidity Levels for Piano Rooms
Tempo Commands:
▪ largo
▪ rhythm dot
▪ (accel.) accelerando
▪ vivace
▪ tempo giusto
Musical Articulation:
▪ staccato
▪ tie
▪ (rfz) rinforzando
▪ arpeggiato
▪ accentato
Volume & Dynamics:
▪ (mf) mezzo forte
▪ (sfz) sforzando
▪ diminuendo
▪ al niente
▪ (fp) fortepiano
French Musical Glossary:
▪ en ralentissant
▪ indication de mouvement
▪ à l’aise
▪ mi-doux
▪ retenu
Essential Beginner Terms:
▪ (BPM) beats per minute
▪ whole step
▪ ledger line
▪ interval
▪ broken chord
Musical Symbols:

Sheet Music Lessons

▪ Staff & Barlines
A musical staff is built with five horizontal lines (upon which music notes are placed) and is separated and organized rhythmically using vertical “barlines” and double barlines. Learn how to understand how musical staves are read and contructed:

▪ Memorize the Notes of the Grand Staff
Because the piano has so many notes, its sheet music uses a two-part staff – or “grand staff” – consisting of the treble and bass staves. These staves are read slightly differently from one another, but both follow the same note pattern. Learn these notes, and memorize them with helpful mnemonic devices:

▪ Piano Chords
Learn the basics of chords – how to build common chords, identify them, break them down into intervals, and form them on the piano using essential keyboard fingering techniques:

▪ Rhythm Dots
A dot placed next to a note is called a rhythm dot, and increases a note’s duration. Dotted notes may seem confusing at first, but they are easily explained. You should however have an understanding of note lengths in order to to make sense of them easily:

Printable Piano Lesson Bundles: Piano Lesson One:
■ Keys: C major & G major
■ Meters: Common time
Targeted Techniques:
♦ Sight-reading
♦ Beginner piano fingering
♦ Reading accidentals
♦ Octave changes
Piano Lesson Two:
■ Keys: C major & G major
■ Meters: Common time; 3/4 & 2/4
Targeted Techniques:
♦ Dotted notes
♦ Memorizing intervals & small chords
♦ Playing repeat signs
Piano Lesson Three:
■ Keys: D major/B minor & G major
■ Meters: Common time
Targeted Techniques:
♦ Dotted notes
♦ Harmonic & melodic minors
♦ Repeat barlines
♦ Articulation symbols
Piano Lesson Four:
■ Keys: D major & G major
■ Meters: Common time & 2/4
Targeted Techniques:
♦ Counting triplets
♦ Staccato accents
Musical Quizzes Identify the Notes of the Piano Keys
This colorful quiz was made with the beginner pianist in mind. See how well you can spot the notes of the piano keyboard.
Key Signature Quiz
See how well you can identify musical keys, their signatures, and relative minors.
Note Lengths in U.S. or U.K. English
Beginner quiz on note values and rhythm, in U.S. English or U.K. English.