Reading Music Tied Notes

Learning to read music properly is integral for any musician if they wanted to perform a piece accurately. A composer may use many musical notations in a composition that a musician is expected to comprehend. Thus, it is important to take the time to research what each musical notation means.

A musical notation is a symbol that instructs how a note or melody should be played with regards to pitch, rhythm, tempo, note value and expression. A tied note is one such musical notation.

What Is a Tied Note?

A tied note is a musical notation represented by a curved line that connects two notes of the same pitch. In a tie, the second note is not played but its value is added to the first note.

Why Are Tied Notes Used?

Ties can be used when a note is too long that it carries over into the next bar. Ties are also used when the value of a note cannot be represented by only one note.

Notation Placement

Ties are positioned either underneath the affected notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing up) or above notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing down).

Beat Duration

As already mentioned, tied notes add the value of the second note to the first note. For example, 2 quarter notes that are tied together will be held for 2 beats. Or, a half note and an eighth note tied together will be held for 2 1/2 beats.

The table below shows you more examples of tied notes and its value.

Tied Notes and its Duration

Tied Notes Duration

half note + quarter note = held for 3 beats

half note + eighth note = held for 2 1/2 beats

quarter note + quarter note = held for 2 beats

quarter note + eighth note = held for 1 1/2 beats

eighth note + eighth note = held for 1 beat

sixteenth note + sixteenth note = held for 1/2 beat

Featured Video

Reading Music: What Is a Slur?

Symbols of Piano Music

tie

An Introduction to the Elements of Music

How to Read Guitar Tablature

whole note

The Italian Commands of Piano Music

How to Read Piano Music

semibreve

How to Read Bass Tab

Understanding Basic Beats and Meter

The Accent in Music

Types of Rests and Pauses in Music

How to Count and Play Triplets in Music

marcato

The Staff in Music Notation

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

A musical notation is a symbol that instructs how a note or melody should be played with regards to pitch, rhythm, tempo, note value and expression. A tied note is one such musical notation.

What Is a Tied Note?

A tied note is a musical notation represented by a curved line that connects two notes of the same pitch. In a tie, the second note is not played but its value is added to the first note.

Why Are Tied Notes Used?

Ties can be used when a note is too long that it carries over into the next bar. Ties are also used when the value of a note cannot be represented by only one note.

Notation Placement

Ties are positioned either underneath the affected notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing up) or above notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing down).

Beat Duration

The table below shows you more examples of tied notes and its value.

Tied Notes and its Duration

Tied Notes Duration

half note + quarter note = held for 3 beats

half note + eighth note = held for 2 1/2 beats

quarter note + quarter note = held for 2 beats

quarter note + eighth note = held for 1 1/2 beats

eighth note + eighth note = held for 1 beat

sixteenth note + sixteenth note = held for 1/2 beat

What Is a Tied Note?

A tied note is a musical notation represented by a curved line that connects two notes of the same pitch. In a tie, the second note is not played but its value is added to the first note.

Why Are Tied Notes Used?

Ties can be used when a note is too long that it carries over into the next bar. Ties are also used when the value of a note cannot be represented by only one note.

Notation Placement

Ties are positioned either underneath the affected notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing up) or above notes (when the stems of the notes are pointing down).

Beat Duration

The table below shows you more examples of tied notes and its value.

Tied Notes and its Duration

Tied Notes Duration

half note + quarter note = held for 3 beats

half note + eighth note = held for 2 1/2 beats

quarter note + quarter note = held for 2 beats

quarter note + eighth note = held for 1 1/2 beats

eighth note + eighth note = held for 1 beat

sixteenth note + sixteenth note = held for 1/2 beat

What Is a Tied Note?#

Why Are Tied Notes Used?#

Notation Placement#

Beat Duration#

What Is a Tied Note?

Why Are Tied Notes Used?

Notation Placement

Beat Duration