Slurs and ties

Animisha · 2024-12-01T18:50:40+00:00

I get so confused about slurs and ties. Of course I know the rule that slurs connect different notes and ties connect the same notes. Argument for the lo...

Kaydia

keystring In some ways and contexts I hear things off the page, like you might when you read words (Do you hear the words you read, in your head? I don't know if people do that, either. 😉 )

Yes, I do hear the words in my head when I read. But in a conversation referring to something that's written, I'm discussing something I read (saw), not heard. For example, I'd say "Did you read that part about...?" vs "Did you hear that part about...?, even if both things were true.

In any case, I understand what you're saying now, so it's all good. Don't want to derail the thread. 🙂

keystring

Kaydia Yes, I do hear the words in my head when I read. But in a conversation referring to something that's written, I'm discussing something I read (saw), not heard.

Still thinking about this. The thing is that for these things, what I see (in notation) is also a thing I hear while seeing it. So I may refer to the wrong sense. Never thought about this before. 🙂

keystring

test: two of my posts have shown up as written by "deleted". I deleted one of them now because it was too wordy anyhow.

twocats

keystring test: two of my posts have shown up as written by "deleted". I deleted one of them now because it was too wordy anyhow.

This is a forum/software issue, just refresh your browser and then it'll be fixed!

pianoloverus

keystring I think a way to word the answer is:

If that curved line goes from a note to the same note, then you play those "two same notes" as one continuous note. If the curved line goes from a note to a different note, then you play them legato.

Not quite correct I think. Imagine the notes C,D,E,D,C played with a curved line over them. This would not be a slur because of the notes played between the two Cs.

keystring

pianoloverus Not quite correct I think. Imagine the notes C,D,E,D,C played with a curved line over them. This would not be a slur because of the notes played between the two Cs.

Two CONSECUTIVE NOTES understood. In C, D, E, D, C does not "go from C to C" - it goes from C to D. It eventually goes back to C but we're talking about the next note.

pianoloverus

pianoloverus keystring I think a way to word the answer is:

If that curved line goes from a note to the same note, then you play those "two same notes" as one continuous note. If the curved line goes from a note to a different note, then you play them legato.

Not quite correct I think. Imagine the notes C,D,E,D,C played with a curved line over them. This would not be a slur because of the notes played between the two Cs.
I had this backwards. My last sentence should have said this would be a slur because...

twocats

@Animisha I used to think it was obvious what a slur vs a tie looked like until I started overthinking it after reading your post 😆

I was recently working on a Chopin piece and there's a note that looks like a tie but that doesn't make sense, he's clearly using the notation to indicate a phrase. Sometimes it can be confusing! I do think the general rule of "same note is a tie, else it's a slur" is a pretty good one though.

keystring

twocats I was recently working on a Chopin piece and there's a note that looks like a tie but that doesn't make sense, he's clearly using the notation to indicate a phrase. Sometimes it can be confusing! I do think the general rule of "same note is a tie, else it's a slur" is a pretty good one though.

Thinking about this - you can also end up with enharmonics when for example the music is in the middle of a key change. So you might have C# tied to Db (if that happens in music) and it is a single note that continues in piano music.

Animisha

twocats @Animisha I used to think it was obvious what a slur vs a tie looked like until I started overthinking it after reading your post 😆

This is so funny! 😆

But I finally get it. Because the curved lines sometimes were above the chords, and at other times below the chords, I thought where the curved lines are didn't matter, but now I realise, it matters a lot.
I can now easily see, in all examples that I have given, if the curved line is a tie or a slur.

twocats

keystring So you might have C# tied to Db (if that happens in music) and it is a single note that continues in piano music.

Correct! I recently encountered that as well.

Animisha

keystring If that curved line goes from a note to the same note, then you play those "two same notes" as one continuous note. If the curved line goes from a note to a different note, then you play them legato.

My confusion arises when there is a curved line, connecting intervals or chords, and one note in those intervals or chords is repeated, whereas the others are not.
But I understand now, finally! that - those curved lines are more exact than I thought. If the curved lines connect the same notes in those intervals or chords, those notes should be held, if the curved line are between other notes in the interval or chord, it is a slur and the notes should not be held.

twocats

Animisha I can now easily see, in all examples that I have given, if the curved line is a tie or a slur.

Yay!! 🙂

Sidokar

The position of the curved lines is just a matter of convenience. A tie can be above or below the chords. Same for slurs. Sometimes it is difficult to identify which is which. Often the curved line above the melody is a slur. But with tied chords, I always try different options including to actually repeat the note or the chord in particular when it is held for a long time (Bach for example).

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