Which term is a direction to play a note or passage with the left hand?

Which term is a direction to play a note or passage with the left hand?

• A. Mano Sinistra
• B. Mano Destra
• C. Legato
• D. Staccato

Answer: (A)

In piano notation, hand designations tell you which hand should play a note or passage. Mano Sinistra means the left hand; it’s literally Italian for “left hand.” When you see it, the composer wants the left hand to take those notes, even if they’re written on a staff or range you wouldn’t normally associate with the left hand. The opposite term, Mano Destra, directs the right hand. Legato and Staccato, on the other hand, refer to how notes are connected or spaced in time rather than which hand plays them. Legato indicates smooth, connected notes, while Staccato indicates short, detached notes. Sometimes you’ll see abbreviations like M.S. (mano sinistra) and M.D. (mano destra) in scores, which reinforces that these marks are about hand assignment rather than articulation.

In piano notation, hand designations tell you which hand should play a note or passage. Mano Sinistra means the left hand; it’s literally Italian for “left hand.” When you see it, the composer wants the left hand to take those notes, even if they’re written on a staff or range you wouldn’t normally associate with the left hand. The opposite term, Mano Destra, directs the right hand.

Legato and Staccato, on the other hand, refer to how notes are connected or spaced in time rather than which hand plays them. Legato indicates smooth, connected notes, while Staccato indicates short, detached notes.

Sometimes you’ll see abbreviations like M.S. (mano sinistra) and M.D. (mano destra) in scores, which reinforces that these marks are about hand assignment rather than articulation.