A tie means keep holding the same note. A slur means connect the notes as you play them. The curved marks can look similar, but they do different jobs: a tie joins durations; a slur describes how a phrase is played.
Try the three short examples below. Each uses treble clef and 4/4 time: count four steady quarter-note beats per bar. C4 is middle C, on the short ledger line below the staff.
1. A tie: two written notes, one key press
A tie joins consecutive notes of the same pitch. Add their lengths and play once. Two tied quarter notes last two beats; the second notehead is a reminder to keep holding, not to press again. The Open University explanation of ties also shows why they are useful across bar lines.
Try it: say “1, 2, 3, 4” evenly. Press C on 1 and keep it down through 2. Play D on 3, then E on 4. If you played C twice, repeat the bar and say “hold” on beat 2.
2. A slur: connect the notes, keep their own timing
A slur groups notes for connected playing, called legato. It does not add their values into one long note. In this example, change from C to D on beat 2 without a deliberate gap; then play E on beat 3. Puget Sound’s music-theory text contrasts slurs and ties.
Check: C takes one beat, D takes one, and E takes two: 1 + 1 + 2 = 4. Use separate fingers for C and D so you can practise the connection without the sustain pedal. This is a simple finger exercise, not a rule that every musical phrase must avoid pedal.
Different pitches under a curve cannot be a tie. However, a long slurred phrase can return to its starting pitch. Check which notes the curve covers and their rhythm; do not judge only its first and last notes.
3. Across a bar line: keep counting, keep holding
A bar line does not cancel a tie. Here, a whole-note C is tied to another whole-note C. In 4/4, each lasts four beats, so the sounding note lasts eight beats in total.
Try it: press C on the first 1. Keep the key down while you count both bars. Do not press again on the second bar’s 1. Release after its beat 4 has finished. Your piano sound may fade while you hold the key; that is different from deliberately repeating the note.
A quick reading check
- Same pitch joined by a tie? Add the lengths and hold.
- Notes grouped by a slur? Play their written rhythm with a connected phrase.
- Tie crosses a bar? Restart the count, not the note.
If keeping the pulse is the difficult part, use the beginner rhythm exercises next. If the low C is hard to locate, practise reading ledger lines. For general note-reading practice, you can also open Ultimidi.