Which term indicates a sustained or held manner across notes?

Which term indicates a sustained or held manner across notes?

• A. Subito
• B. Spiritoso
• C. Sostenuto
• D. Staccato

Answer: (C)

Sostenuto signals a sustained, connected feel across the notes. It means you should hold the tones longer and let their sounds overlap, creating a smooth, legato line rather than short, detached notes. In piano playing this often involves keeping the notes sounding while moving to the next ones, so the line remains continuous and singing. By contrast, the other terms imply different effects: subito means suddenly or abruptly, spiritoso calls for a lively, spirited character, and staccato asks for short, detached notes.

Sostenuto signals a sustained, connected feel across the notes. It means you should hold the tones longer and let their sounds overlap, creating a smooth, legato line rather than short, detached notes. In piano playing this often involves keeping the notes sounding while moving to the next ones, so the line remains continuous and singing. By contrast, the other terms imply different effects: subito means suddenly or abruptly, spiritoso calls for a lively, spirited character, and staccato asks for short, detached notes.