View source for Legato

==Guitar==
In [[guitar|guitar playing]] (apart from classical guitar) legato is used interchangeably as a label for both musical articulation and a particular application of technique—playing musical phrases using the fretting hand to play the notes—using techniques such as [[glissando]], [[Finger vibrato|string bending]], [[hammer-on]]s and [[pull-off]]s instead of picking to sound the notes.  The fact that the same finger is both setting the string vibrating and setting the pitch leads to smoother transitions between notes than when one hand is used to mark pitch while the other strikes the string. Legato ''technique'' to provide legato ''articulation'' on electric guitar generally requires playing notes that are close and on the same string, following the first note with others that are played by hammer-ons and pull-offs. 

Some guitar virtuosos (notably [[Allan Holdsworth]], [[Shawn Lane]] and [[Brett Garsed]]) developed their legato technique to the extent that they could perform extremely complex passages involving any permutation of notes on a string at extreme tempos, and particularly in the case of Holdsworth, tend to eschew pull-offs entirely for what some feel is a detrimental effect on guitar tone as the string is pulled slightly sideways. The term "hammer-ons from nowhere"{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}} is commonly employed when crossing strings and relying solely on fretting hand strength to produce a note but on a plucked string. Many guitar virtuosos are well-versed in the legato technique, as it allows for rapid and "clean" runs.  Multiple hammer-ons and pull-offs together are sometimes also referred to colloquially as "rolls", a reference to the fluid sound of the technique. A rapid series of hammer-ons and pull-offs between a single pair of notes is called a [[trill (music)|trill]]. 

Legato on guitar is commonly associated with playing more notes within a beat than the stated timing, i.e., playing 5 (a [[tuplet|quintuplet]]) or 7 (a septuplet) notes against a quarter-note instead of the usual even number or triplet. This gives the passage an unusual timing and when played slowly an unusual sound. However, this is less noticeable by ear when played fast, as legato usually is. There is a fine line between legato and two-hand [[Tapping|finger tapping]], in some cases making the two techniques harder to distinguish by ear.  Generally, legato adds a more fluid, smooth sound to a passage.