Leggiero

Leggiero means "light". (Modern Italian spells it leggero; music usually keeps the older spelling.) It asks for a light, nimble, delicate touch: notes that are clear and even but never heavy, as if the fingers barely touch the keys. It is abbreviated legg.

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Where you see it

Leggiero is most common in fast passagework: running scales, arpeggios and repeated figures that should sparkle rather than thunder. It often comes with p or pp, and with staccato or non-legato playing. Burgmüller marks legg. in his Arabesque, whose quick figures need exactly this touch (see our Arabesque study).

How to play leggiero

• Play from the fingers. Keep the arm light and supported, and let the fingers do the work with small, quick motions close to the keys.
• Avoid excess pressure. Depress each key far enough for a clear note, then release freely. Lightness comes from control of the attack and release, not from trying to stop every key partway down.
• Even rhythm. Lightness only works if every note is in its place. Practice slowly with a metronome, then bring it up to speed.
• No accents. Unless marked, avoid bumps on the beat. The passage should glide.

Related words

Scherzando (playful) and grazioso (graceful) often share leggiero's lightness. Its opposite is pesante, heavy. Note that leggiero is not the same as staccato: a leggiero passage can be slurred, as long as the touch stays light. Legato or Staccato? practices telling the two touches apart.