Notation & reading
Tie
A tie is a curved line joining two notes of the same pitch, combining them into a single sound lasting the sum of their values.
Ties exist because note values are limited to halvings, there is no single symbol for a note lasting five eighths, so it is written as a half note tied to an eighth. They are also the standard way to carry a note across a bar line, which no single notehead can do.
The second note of a tie is never re-articulated. On a string instrument this means the bow keeps moving without a direction change or a new attack, and the left-hand finger stays down. Miscounting a tie across a bar line is one of the most common rhythmic errors in student ensembles.
Related terms
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