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<p>
<a name="Ties"></a>
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Scaling-durations.html#Scaling-durations">Scaling durations</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Writing-rhythms.html#Writing-rhythms">Writing rhythms</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="subsubsection">1.2.1.4 Ties</h5>
<p><a name="index-tie-437"></a><a name="index-g_t_007e-438"></a><a name="index-g_t_007e-439"></a>
<p>A tie connects two adjacent note heads of the same pitch. The tie
in effect extends the duration of a note.
<p><table class="cartouche" summary="cartouche" border="1"><tr><td>
<b>Note:</b> Ties should not be confused with <em>slurs</em>, which
indicate articulation, or <em>phrasing slurs</em>, which indicate
musical phrasing. A tie is just a way of extending a note
duration, similar to the augmentation dot.
</td></tr></table>
<p>A tie is entered using the tilde symbol <code>~</code>
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
e'2 ~ e'
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../fc/lily-e11ece40.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../fc/lily-e11ece40.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">Ties are used either when the note crosses a bar line, or when
dots cannot be used to denote the rhythm. Ties should also be
used when note values cross larger subdivisions of the measure:
<blockquote>
<p>
<a href="../db/lily-6a54d224.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../db/lily-6a54d224.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you need to tie many notes across bar lines, it may be
easier to use automatic note splitting, see <a href="Automatic-note-splitting.html#Automatic-note-splitting">Automatic note splitting</a>. This mechanism automatically splits long notes, and
ties them across bar lines.
<p><a name="index-ties-and-chords-440"></a><a name="index-chords-and-ties-441"></a>
When a tie is applied to a chord, all note heads whose pitches
match are connected. When no note heads match, no ties will be
created. Chords may be partially tied by placing the tie inside
the chord.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
<c e g> ~ <c e g>
<c~ e g~ b> <c e g b>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../28/lily-c94c0f5b.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../28/lily-c94c0f5b.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-g_t_005crepeatTie-442"></a><a name="index-g_t_005crepeatTie-443"></a>
<a name="index-repeating-ties-444"></a><a name="index-ties_002c-repeating-445"></a><a name="index-volta-brackets-and-ties-446"></a><a name="index-ties-and-volta-brackets-447"></a>
When a second alternative of a repeat starts with a tied note, you
have to specify the repeated tie as follows:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\repeat volta 2 { c g <c e>2 ~ }
\alternative {
% First alternative: following note is tied normally
{ <c e>2. r4 }
% Second alternative: following note has a repeated tie
{ <c e>2\repeatTie d4 c } }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../74/lily-b3a05268.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../74/lily-b3a05268.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-laissez-vibrer-448"></a><a name="index-ties_002c-laissez-vibrer-449"></a><a name="index-g_t_005claissezVibrer-450"></a><a name="index-g_t_005claissezVibrer-451"></a>
<p><var>L.v.</var> ties (<var>laissez vibrer</var>) indicate that
notes must not be damped at the end. It is used in notation for
piano, harp and other string and percussion instruments. They can
be entered as follows:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
<c f g>1\laissezVibrer
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../77/lily-aff77782.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../77/lily-aff77782.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-ties_002c-placement-452"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieUp-453"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieUp-454"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005ctieDown-455"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieDown-456"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005ctieNeutral-457"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieNeutral-458"></a>
<p>The vertical placement of ties may be controlled, see
Predefined commands, or for details, see
<a href="Direction-and-placement.html#Direction-and-placement">Direction and placement</a>.
<p><a name="index-ties_002c-appearance-459"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieDotted-460"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieDotted-461"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005ctieDashed-462"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieDashed-463"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005ctieSolid-464"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctieSolid-465"></a>
<p>Solid, dotted or dashed ties may be specified, see Predefined
commands.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Predefined commands</h5>
<p><code>\tieUp</code>,
<code>\tieDown</code>,
<code>\tieNeutral</code>,
<code>\tieDotted</code>,
<code>\tieDashed</code>,
<code>\tieSolid</code>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Using ties with arpeggios</em>
<p>Ties are sometimes used to write out arpeggios. In this case, two tied
notes need not be consecutive. This can be achieved by setting the
<code>tieWaitForNote</code> property to "true". The same feature is also
useful, for example, to tie a tremolo to a chord, but in principle, it
can also be used for ordinary consecutive notes, as demonstrated in
this example.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c' {
\set tieWaitForNote = ##t
\grace { c16[~ e~ g]~ } <c, e g>2
\repeat tremolo 8 { c32~ c'~ } <c c,>1
e8~ c~ a~ f~ <e' c a f>2
\tieUp c8~ a \tieDown \tieDotted g~ c g2
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../fb/lily-8611aa44.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../fb/lily-8611aa44.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Engraving ties manually</em>
<p>Ties may be engraved manually by changing the <code>tie-configuration</code>
property of the <code>TieColumn</code> object. The first number indicates the
distance from the center of the staff in staff-spaces, and the second
number indicates the direction (1 = up, -1 = down).
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\relative c' {
<c e g>2 ~ <c e g>
\override TieColumn #'tie-configuration =
#'((0.0 . 1) (-2.0 . 1) (-4.0 . 1))
<c e g> ~ <c e g>
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../90/lily-20bf159d.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../90/lily-20bf159d.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Music Glossary:
<a name="index-tie-466"></a><a href="../music-glossary/tie.html#tie">tie</a>,
<a name="index-laissez-vibrer-467"></a><a href="../music-glossary/laissez-vibrer.html#laissez-vibrer">laissez vibrer</a>.
<p>Notation Reference: <a href="Automatic-note-splitting.html#Automatic-note-splitting">Automatic note splitting</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Rhythms.html#Rhythms">Rhythms</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-LaissezVibrerTie-468"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/LaissezVibrerTie.html#LaissezVibrerTie">LaissezVibrerTie</a>,
<a name="index-LaissezVibrerTieColumn-469"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/LaissezVibrerTieColumn.html#LaissezVibrerTieColumn">LaissezVibrerTieColumn</a>,
<a name="index-TieColumn-470"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/TieColumn.html#TieColumn">TieColumn</a>,
<a name="index-Tie-471"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/Tie.html#Tie">Tie</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>Switching staves when a tie is active will not produce a slanted
tie.
<p>Changing clefs or octavations during a tie is not really
well-defined. In these cases, a slur may be preferable.
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Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Writing-rhythms.html#Writing-rhythms">Writing rhythms</a>
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