Tenuto indicates which performance instruction?

• A. Play slightly longer and with rubato
• B. Play staccato
• C. Play loudly
• D. Play marcato

Answer: (A)

Tenuto indicates that a note should be held for its full written value, with a smooth, connected feel and a touch of weight. The dash marking above or below the note signals sustain rather than release, so the performer keeps the note’s length, sometimes allowing a slight stretch within the beat—this is the sense of rubato applied to articulation. That is why the answer describing playing slightly longer and with rubato fits best. The other options point to different articulations or dynamics—staccato is short and detached, playing loudly denotes volume, and marcato calls for a strong, accented attack—none of which align with tenuto’s guidance to sustain the note.