Spiccato vs Tenuto

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Spiccato	Tenuto
Definition	A bouncing bow stroke producing short, separated notes.	Held for its full value; sustained with emphasis.
Category	articulation	articulation
Pronunciation	spih-KAH-toh	teh-NOO-toh
Origin	Italian	Italian
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	bounced bouncing bow	held sustained
Antonyms	Legato Sostenuto	Staccato Spiccato
Usage	The violins play the rapid semiquavers spiccato, creating a sparkling, effervescent texture.	The tenuto marking on each crotchet gives the passage a weighty, deliberate character.

Definition: A bouncing bow stroke producing short, separated notes.
Category: articulation
Pronunciation: spih-KAH-toh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: bounced bouncing bow
Antonyms: Legato Sostenuto
Usage: The violins play the rapid semiquavers spiccato, creating a sparkling, effervescent texture.

Definition: Held for its full value; sustained with emphasis.
Category: articulation
Pronunciation: teh-NOO-toh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: held sustained
Antonyms: Staccato Spiccato
Usage: The tenuto marking on each crotchet gives the passage a weighty, deliberate character.