Portato

Portato (Italian for "carried") is a musical articulation that lies between staccato and legato. It indicates that a note should be gently separated from the next, but not as detached as a staccato. The notes are connected, but each one is distinctly sounded with a slight emphasis or impulse.

Often described as "non-legato," portato can be thought of as a series of gentle pulses within a legato phrase. While legato implies a smooth, unbroken connection, portato suggests a subtle separation and re-articulation of each note without any silence in between.

Visually, portato is often indicated in musical notation with a horizontal line above or below the note. It can sometimes be confused with tenuto, which is represented with a similar marking, but tenuto indicates holding the note for its full value, often with emphasis, whereas portato implies a slight separation and articulation. The interpretation of portato can also be influenced by the tempo and character of the piece.