Tie and slur
A curved line between notes is a tie or a slur. A tie joins two notes of the same pitch into one longer note. A slur joins notes of different pitches, which are played smoothly (legato).
How to read it
A tie adds the notes’ values together: a half note tied to a quarter note lasts as long as a dotted half note. A tie can carry a note across a barline. A slur can join two notes or a whole phrase; for singers it can mean several notes sung on one syllable, and for string players notes played in one bow.
Telling a tie from a slur
A tie joins two notes of the same pitch, normally on the same line or space (an enharmonic tie joins two spellings of one pitch, such as F sharp and G flat), and is drawn close to the heads. A slur usually joins different pitches and is placed clearly over or under the notes. A curve over two notes of the same pitch with a dot on the second is a short slur, not a tie: both notes are played.
Accidentals and ties
A sharp or flat on a tied note carries across the barline for as long as the tie lasts.
Read next
- Next in Music symbolsRepeat signA double barline with two dots is a repeat sign: the music is played twice. Dots on the left of the bar mark the end of the repeated section; dots on the right mark its start.
- The same shape in Social media icons and badgesSnapchat friend emojiThe emoji next to a friend’s name in Snapchat show how the two of you use the app. A yellow heart means you are each other’s #1 Best Friend, a fire means you are on a Streak, and an hourglass means the Streak is about to end.
More music symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with circles or curves and waves.
Sources
- Music Notation and Terminology, Karl W. Gehrkens, 1914, A. S. Barnes Company (Project Gutenberg), Chapter III, §25; Chapter V, §54–55
- Primer of Facts about Music, M. G. Evans, 1909, Theodore Presser Co. (Internet Archive, University of Toronto), Q. 101–103
- Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom: Dots and Ties, Robert Hutchinson, section 4.3, University of Puget Sound, Section 4.3
- Elson's Music Dictionary, Louis C. Elson, 1905, Oliver Ditson Company (Internet Archive, Cornell University Library), Tie (popular errors)
- Stainer and Barrett's Dictionary of Musical Terms, John Stainer and W. A. Barrett, new and revised edition, 1898, Novello (Internet Archive, Cornell University Library), Tie; Bind
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 26, 2026. How we research
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