Articulation Marks
Symbols and lines placed around notes change the way those notes are sounded and create a relationship with surrounding notes. This concept is called “articulation,” and is marked in piano music using articulation marks.
Here are some common symbols affecting articulation:
- Staccato
A dot placed above or below a note, making it brief in duration. - Tie
A curved line that joins two or more of the same notes, leaving no audible spaces between them. In piano music, notes connected by a tie are struck as one note, but are held for the duration of all the tied notes. - Fermata
An indication to hold a note or chord for any desired length. - Arpeggio
A squiggly vertical line next to a chord means the chord notes are not played simultaneously; the notes are hit quickly in order, creating a harp-like effect. Arpeggiated chords usually go from low to high, unless marked by a downward arrow.
