Tie

A curved line joining two adjacent notes of the same pitch, combining their durations into a single sustained sound.

About Tie

A tie connects two notes that share the same pitchPitchThe perceived highness or lowness of a sound, determined by its frequency.View full entry → and position on the staffStaffThe set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.View full entry →, 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 valueNote ValueThe duration of a note relative to the beat.View full entry → — for example, a crotchetCrotchetA note lasting one beat in common time, equivalent to a quarter note in American terminology.View full entry → tied to a quaverQuaverA note lasting half a beat in common time, equivalent to an eighth note in American terminology.View full entry → produces a sound lasting one and a half beats.