What does portato mean in music?

portato means "slightly detached (between staccato and legato)".

What type of musical term is portato?

portato is a articulation term — see the Theory Practice glossary for the rest of the articulation word list.

What grade is portato tested in?

portato first appears at Grade 4 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams, and stays in the syllabus for every grade above that.

Music theory · Musical terms · Articulation

portato — meaning in music

portato is a musical term meaning slightly detached (between staccato and legato). It is a articulation marking, first tested at Grade 4 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams. From that grade on, every written paper expects you to know it on sight.

Definition

slightly detached (between staccato and legato)

ArticulationFirst tested: Grade 4

Translations

French	légèrement détaché (entre staccato et legato)
German	leicht gelöst (zwischen Staccato und Legato)
Italian	leggermente staccato (tra staccato e legato)
Spanish	ligeramente separado (entre staccato y legato)
Chinese	稍微分离（断奏和连奏之间）

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All articulation terms

accento legatissimo legato marcato portato staccatissimo staccato tenuto