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Portamento vs Legato - What's the difference?

portamento | legato |

In lang=en terms the difference between portamento and legato

is that portamento is a smooth, gliding transition from one note to another; used especially with stringed instruments, and sometimes on brass while legato is a slur curve above or below a passage of notes indicating that they should be played in a legato manner.

As an adverb legato is

smoothly, in a connected manner.

portamento

English

(wikipedia portamento)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (music) A smooth, gliding transition from one note to another; used especially with stringed instruments, and sometimes on brass.
  • * 2006 , Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day , Vintage 2007, p. 945:
    • The music was feral, Eastern in scale, flattened seconds and sixths, and a kind of fretless portamento between
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    legato

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (music) Smoothly, in a connected manner.
    • Play this passage legato not portato.

    Antonyms

    * (music) portato, staccato

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music) A slur curve above or below a passage of notes indicating that they should be played in a legato manner.

    • Anagrams

    * ----