Legato means playing so that notes connect smoothly, without a break between them. It creates a flowing expression in vocals, strings, winds, keyboards, and synth phrases.
The basic idea
The basic principle is to leave no gap when you move to the next note. But making everything legato blurs the definition, so use it selectively within a phrase.
Playing and programming it
In MIDI, overlap the notes slightly and use a library with legato support to get a smoother result. Connecting the peaks of a phrase while leaving a short rest at the breaks sounds natural.
How it differs from related terms
Legato is an expression that connects notes, and staccato is an expression that cuts them short.
When you write a long melody, be conscious of where to connect smoothly and where to break.
