Portato (Italian, past participle of portare, "to carry") in music denotes slurred staccato and is notated by adding a slur to staccato notes.

Portato is actually articulated legato, where the notes are played almost legato. Each portato note is 'carried' to the next note.

Portato sometimes is confused with portamento, but it is a completely different entity. By playing portato the music gets 'dignity', 'importance' or a clear pace. Portato was a common way of playing accompanying lines in baroque music, although it was not written in the score. In Classical and Romantic music the portato notation with slurs and dots is more common.

See also

Musical notation and development
Staff Bar & Bar line · Clef · Da Capo · Dal Segno · Key signature · Ledger line · Musical mode · Musical scale · Rehearsal letter · Repeat sign · Time signature · Transposition · Transposing instrument
Notes Accidental (Flat · Natural · Sharp) · Dotted note · Grace note · Note value (Beam · Note head · Stem) · Pitch · Rest · Interval · Letter notation
Articulation Dynamics · Ornament (Trill · Mordent · Grace note) · Ossia · Portato · Accent · Legato · Tenuto · Marcato · Staccato · Staccatissimo · Tie · Slur · Fermata
Development Coda · Exposition · Harmony · Melody · Motif · Recapitulation · Rhythm (Beat · Meter · Tempo) · Theme · Tonality · Atonality
Related Chord chart · Figured bass · Graphic notation · Lead sheet · Eye music · Modern musical symbols · Neume · Tablature

Categories: Articulations | Italian loanwords

 

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A Berlusconi serviva un amico e Obama ha portato il clima giusto al G8

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