Staccato articulation is often used in the accompanying parts of dance-like pieces.

Staccato chords can be played quite as a rapid continuum. It is important to maintain free arm movements.

During practice, it is essential to learn how to relax the whole hand and fingers between the tight plucks.

• A playful mental image of a lazily jumping frog has helped many kantele players to relax when playing staccatos.
  • Let's imagine a frog jumping on a seaside meadow. Its movements are flexible but naturally controlled.
  • Your hand feels flexible and relaxed as the fingers lift and drop back on the strings.

Example 1: Emil Sivori, arr. Paul Salminen: Parts from the play Salmin tyttö, bars 57-64 

Some of these chords are played with sliding, some with upward plucking.

• It is advisable to identify and carefully practise different impulses and movements of sliding and upward plucking.
• Relaxedness is essential: a free hand reacts to a new impulse instantly and actively.
• This also makes it easy to move fingers quickly onto the strings of a new chord.
  • Practise very slowly at first and take the time to make sure that your hand is relaxed.

Example 2: Trad., arr. Paul Salminen: Tuoltapa näkyy se punanen talo, bars 3-6 

In this accompaniment style, the thumb and fingers are plucking in turns.

• When plucking, the finger grip is tight for a moment, but the tension must be released immediately after the impulse.
• Let your fingers remain relaxed between the plucks – also when they are moving to different strings.
  • Try plucking with steeply and gently arched fingers: what position makes it easiest to play the staccato?
  • Practise very slowly so that you have time to feel the relaxedness of your hand and fingers and how your fingers lightly move between the bass and chord notes.