Articulation
Articulation is a tool that composers use to communicate how to play the notes in a piece of music. Some articulations affect the duration of a note, while others inform how musicians approach the sound. Explore different types of articulations and how changing the articulation can impact our emotional response to the music.
Musical Word Wall
- Articulation
- Staccato
- Legato
- Accent
Classroom Discussion Prompts
- After hearing the same excerpt played legato and staccato, how did each performance make you feel? Did you prefer one over the other? Why?
- After hearing the same excerpt played with and without accents, how did each performance make you feel? Did you prefer one instead of the other? Why?
- What other articulation markings can you find in your music? Do they change the duration of the note or something else?
- Try playing one of your own excerpts without articulations and then adding the articulations back in. Try playing the same excerpt with completely different articulations. How does the music sound different?
Explore More
Texture
Discover how changes in texture and layering can alter how we hear a piece of music.
Theme and Variations
Learn how to identify a musical theme, describe its character and tone, and how it can be transformed through various compositional techniques.
Ode to Community
Explore what it means to be a good musical citizen in an ensemble, and learn about the various individual and group roles that support a piece of music.
About Listen and Learn
Join Ensemble Connect fellows in a series of interactive videos that introduce core musicianship skills through guided listening activities. The fellows dissect an excerpt of classical ensemble music through the lens of a particular technique (e.g., articulation), helping students understand the technique and how to apply it to their own music. Alongside each video is a list of suggested prompts for discussion and further learning with your students.
Ensemble Connect is a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education.