What does tenuto mean in music?

tenuto means "held, sustained".

What type of musical term is tenuto?

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

What grade is tenuto tested in?

tenuto first appears at Grade 2 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams, and stays in the syllabus for every grade above that.

Music theory · Musical terms · Articulation

tenuto — meaning in music

tenuto is a musical term meaning held, sustained. It is a articulation marking, first tested at Grade 2 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams. From that grade on, every written paper expects you to know it on sight.

Definition

held, sustained

ArticulationFirst tested: Grade 2

Translations

French	tenu, soutenu
German	gehalten, aufrechterhalten
Italian	tenuto, sostenuto
Spanish	sostenido, sostenido
Chinese	举行，持续

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All articulation terms

accento legatissimo legato marcato portato staccatissimo staccato tenuto