Articulation
The term articulation refers to the way notes are played and how long they are held for. Common examples of articulation are legato and staccato. Legato means that the notes are played smoothly. If there is no word or symbol telling you how to play a note, you can assume it is to be played legato. Staccato means that a note is to be played short and separate from other notes (the opposite of legato). Staccato is indicated by a dot placed above or below a note as shown here.
The notes in the first bar of this example are played legato, while the second bar is played staccato. There are two ways of playing a note staccato on the bass. One is to stop the note from sounding with the right hand finger which is about to play the following note, and the other is to lift the left hand finger off the fret (but not off the string). You should practice both of these techniques until you are comfortable with them.
Example 70 combines staccato eighth notes and rests which creates a broken up funky feel.
Example 71 combines staccato and legato playing.
The Dotted Quarter Note
A dot written after a quarter note means that you hold the note for one and a half beats.
The next example contains dotted quarter note rhythms. Count carefully as you play.
