Which articulation indicates a short, detached note?

• A. Legato
• B. Tenuto
• C. Staccato
• D. Marcato

Answer: (C)

Staccato marks a note as short and detached. A small dot above or below the note head tells you to attack quickly and release promptly, creating a crisp, separated sound. On wind instruments, this feel comes from a quick tongue attack and a brief interruption of breath to separate each note.

Legato, in contrast, means notes flow smoothly with little or no separation, connected across the phrase. Tenuto uses a dash to indicate holding a note for its full value or slightly emphasizing it, which preserves the length rather than shortening it. Marcato calls for a strong, emphasized attack with a clear, separated feel, but the duration isn’t necessarily as shortened as staccato in typical practice.

So for a short, detached note, the appropriate articulation is staccato.