Tie
A curved line joining two adjacent notes of the same pitch, combining their durations into a single sustained sound.
Category
notation
Pronunciation
/taɪ/
Origin
Middle English (teyen, to fasten)
Length
196 words · 1 min read
About Tie
A tie connects two notes that share the same pitch and position on the staff, instructing the performer to hold the note for the combined duration without re-attacking. This allows composers to write rhythms that span across barlines or create durations not available as a single note value — for example, a crotchet tied to a quaver produces a sound lasting one and a half beats.
More notation terms
Dynamic Marking
View all notationterms →A symbol or abbreviation indicating the volume at which music should be played, from very soft to very loud.
FermataA held note or rest; pause at the performer's discretion.
Note ValueThe duration of a note relative to the beat.
Articulation MarkingsSymbols placed above or below notes to indicate how they should be attacked, sustained, or released.
AccidentalA symbol placed before a note to raise or lower its pitch by a semitone or whole tone, overriding the key signature.
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