A musical performance style, similiar to staccato. It's also called martalé from the French, and martellato interchangeably, but marcato is the most commonly used term.

On stringed instruments, marcato is a strong, accented style, similiar to detaché in the separation of each note. Each note is played with a small sforzando, using more bow than in staccato but with more conviction than in detaché. Marcato is often defined as "well marked," or "hammered," indicating the accented notes, and also "with force." Marcato typically uses a fast bow.

Marcato is most commonly used in Baroque music.

Mar*ca"to (?), a. [It.] Mus.

In a marked emphatic manner; -- used adverbially as a direction.

 

© Webster 1913.

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