In music performance and notation, legato ([leˈɡaːto]; Italian for "tied together"; French lié; German gebunden) indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note with no intervening silence.

What does legato represent?

The word legato literally means “connected” or “bound together.” It means that notes follow one another smoothly—legato is the unimpeded constancy of sound and tone.

What does legato indicate in music?

A curved line above or below a group of notes tells you those notes should be played legato – smoothly, with no gaps between the notes. A slur is a legato line over a few notes which means they should not be rearticulated.