What does tenuto indicate?

• A. Play in unison
• B. Held or stretched
• C. Short and detached
• D. Play with staccato effect

Answer: (B)

Tenuto means keep the note for its full value, with a smooth, connected feel and often a touch of weight. The marking is a small horizontal dash above or below the note, signaling you should sustain the duration and, in context, may emphasize the phrase slightly without breaking the line. This is why “held or stretched” is the best description: it directly matches sustaining the note rather than shortening it. It’s not about playing in unison, and it isn’t about making notes short and detached or staccato; those would be shorter, separated articulations. In practice, tenuto guides you to a continuous, even line with full rhythmic value.