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The Common ToneWhere the Sacred and the Profane Share the Same Cup
The Common Tone · Visual Language of Music
Staccato A small round dot centered above a notehead.

Staccato

also called: staccato dot · staccato mark

A small dot above or below a notehead telling you to play the note shorter than written, detached from the note that follows.

What you do

Play the note shorter than written and release it cleanly — a crisp separation, not a violent stab. How much shorter is a style call — "about half the value" is a common teaching starting point, not a rule; tempo, instrument, and context all pull on it. The rhythm doesn't change; the next note still arrives on time.

In context

Staccato — example Two engraved measures of the same four quarter notes. In the first measure each notehead carries a small staccato dot; the second measure is unmarked. Engraved by Verovio 6.2.1-8d42439
The first bar carries staccato dots — each note played shorter than written, cleanly released; the second bar shows the same notes without articulation marks.

Don’t confuse with

augmentation-dot
The augmentation dot sits BESIDE the notehead (to its right) and makes the note LONGER; the staccato dot sits ABOVE or BELOW the notehead and makes it shorter.
staccatissimo
Staccatissimo is a small wedge or teardrop, not a round dot, and asks for an even shorter, more clipped note.

See also

tenuto · augmentation-dot

For specialists

SMuFL: articStaccatoAbove
Record status: draft — verification pending (bookshelf locators + chord-symbol authority; OQ-1 blocks the slice gate)