in music, how do you spell "picotto" as in short beats or taps on a piano?

Answer 1

Maybe you mean

staccato
adj.
1. Music. Cut short crisply; detached: staccato octaves.
2. Marked by or composed of abrupt, disconnected parts or sounds: staccato applause.
n., pl. -tos or -ti (-tē).
A staccato manner or sound.
[Italian, past participle of staccare, to detach, short for distaccare, from obsolete French destacher, from Old French destachier. See detach.]

Or
pizzicato
adj. (Abbr. pizz.)
Played by plucking rather than bowing the strings.
n., pl. -ti (-tē).
A pizzicato note or passage.
[Italian, past participle of pizzicare, to pluck, from pizzare, to *****, from pizzo, point.]

Playing staccato is the opposite of playing legato. A staccato passage for strings does not necessarily have to be pizzicato (though the converse is true). For example, Leroy Anderson's Jazz Legato/Jazz Pizzicato.

Answer 2

I think the word you're searching for is staccato. It is an Italian word meaning "separate." Staccato indicates that the notes are to be played as short as possible, and detached from each other. It is indicated on the music by dots over or under the notes.

Answer 3

"pizzacato"