Ties versus slurs

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Durations and signs

A tie combines the durations of two notes at the same pitch into one sustained event, without a new attack on the second note. It can carry a sound across a barline or express a duration unavailable as one value.

A slur usually groups different notes for phrasing or connected articulation. Its physical execution depends on the instrument. Read pitches and context together rather than treating every curved line as the same instruction. A tie and a slur need different interpretation in performance data.

Example

A quarter C tied to an eighth C lasts three eighths without a new attack.

Try it

Does the second of two tied notes require a new attack?

Related topics

References

Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom

Subject-expert review pending.