Definition: Italian for “singable” or “songlike.” A direction to play in a smooth, singing style, emphasizing the melody.
The Savvy Take: The piano is a percussion instrument; it wants to sound percussive. To play cantabile, you must fool the ear. Connect the notes physically (legato) and imagine a singer needing to breathe. If a singer wouldn’t breathe in the middle of a word, don’t lift your hand there.