Accentato
Pronunciation: AK-sent–AH-toe
What is Accentato?
Accentato is a musical indication that tells a musician to put emphasis on a specific note, chord, or passage. Accentato is Italian for accento, which means emphasis. It can be marked on musical composition with the horizontal wedge, or it could be as a result of its overall context.
Key Takeaways
- Accentato is a musical indication that tells the musical performer to play a note, chord, or passage with emphasis.
- Accentato can mean to play a note louder, higher in pitch, or longer in duration.
- Accentato can be included in the context of the composition or indicated over a note with a horizontal wedge.
Understanding Accentato
Accentato is used to contribute to the overall articulation or performance on a musical phrase. There are three types of Accentato, which are:
- Dynamic Accentato – play the note/chord/passage louder
- Tonic Accentato – play the note/chord/passage higher in pitch
- Agogic Accentato – play the note/chord/passage longer in duration
Related Terms
Dynamics Dynamics is the term that conveys the variation in loudness between notes or phrases in musical composition. more
Decrescendo Decrescendo is a type of dynamic change in a musical composition. more
Fortissimo Fortissimo is a type of musical dynamic that means “very loud.” more