Legato vs Tratteggiato

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Legato	Tratteggiato
Definition	Smooth, connected	An articulation marking indicating short, detached strokes drawn lightly across the string.
Category	articulation	articulation
Pronunciation	leh-GAH-toh	trat-teh-jee-AH-toh
Origin	Italian	Italian
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	smooth connected	—
Antonyms	staccato marcato	legato sostenuto
Usage	The cello melody should be played legato, imitating the human voice.	The viola part is marked tratteggiato throughout the development section, providing textural contrast to the sustained woodwind theme.

Definition: Smooth, connected
Category: articulation
Pronunciation: leh-GAH-toh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: smooth connected
Antonyms: staccato marcato
Usage: The cello melody should be played legato, imitating the human voice.

Definition: An articulation marking indicating short, detached strokes drawn lightly across the string.
Category: articulation
Pronunciation: trat-teh-jee-AH-toh
Origin: Italian
Antonyms: legato sostenuto
Usage: The viola part is marked tratteggiato throughout the development section, providing textural contrast to the sustained woodwind theme.