Marcato

Marcato, notated by the wedge accent symbol (^) above or below the note, or by the word marc., instructs the performer to play with strong emphasis. The Italian marcato literally means ‘marked’ — each note is etched into the texture, given weight and definition.

Marcato is more emphatic than a regular accent (>). The note has both attack weight and sustained presence. On strings, this means a fully weighted bow stroke; on piano, full arm engagement; on winds, a strongly tongued attack with full breath support.

The character is forceful, declarative, even martial. Marcato passages often appear in march-like contexts, in heroic themes, and in passages of structural importance. The marking is closely related to (but distinct from) sforzando: sforzando is a sudden punch on a single note; marcato is sustained emphasis across multiple notes.

Italian, past participle of marcare (‘to mark’), from Frankish markōn (‘to mark’).

Play each note with full weight and definition. The character is heroic and emphatic. Don’t shorten the notes (that would be staccato); don’t simply accent the start (that would be sforzando). Maintain weight throughout each note.