Tie

Equal notes, one duration

On the page Rhythm it says in the section on lengthening and joining: a dot after a note lengthens it by half its value, so a dotted half note lasts three quarter notes (2 + 1). A tie joins two notes of the same pitch into a single, longer duration, also across the barline, where a note would not otherwise fit.

Tie and syncopation

The article Understanding and counting syncopation names the tie as the first of the two ways in which a syncopation gets onto paper: a note on the “and” is tied across the next beat, so that no new attack stands on the beat itself. The second way is dotting. A dotted quarter note lasts a beat and a half, and everything that follows lies automatically between the beats.

For reading, according to the article, a convention holds that good editions follow: note values are beamed and tied so that the beats stay visible. Instead of one continuous long value you would rather write two tied ones if that makes the middle of the bar recognisable. If you cannot read a passage, first check where the beats lie visually. See also Beam.

The article also names the hemiola: two three-beat bars are stressed as if they were three two-beat bars. In the score it often shows itself through ties across the barline and through written accents.

Common mistakes

• Confusing tie and slur: The tie joins equal notes into one duration, the slur different ones into legato.
• Striking the second note again: With a tie the note goes on sounding.
• Not thinking the beats along: With a tie across the barline or into the middle of the bar, counting the subdivision helps.