What does acciaccato describe in articulation?

• A. Expressive and caressing
• B. Muffled, muted
• C. Free, relaxed
• D. Broken down, crushed; the notes are not quite simultaneous from bottom to top

Answer: (D)

Acciaccato describes a crushed, short articulation where the notes of a chord are not struck exactly together. You’ll hear a quick bite as the notes arrive with a slight stagger, typically from bottom to top, rather than perfectly simultaneous. This creates a detached, percussive texture that sits between a crisp staccato and a smooth legato.

On piano, you can achieve it by letting the lower tones come in just a hair before the higher ones and then release quickly, producing a broken, crushed effect rather than a perfectly aligned chord. That precise, not-quite-simultaneous attack is what this indication is signaling.

Other descriptions like Expressive and caressing imply a more singing, legato feel; muffled, muted suggests dampened timbre; free and relaxed lacks the crisp bite. The acciaccato texture is specifically about that crushed, staggered attack.