Ligature (music)

Figure 1. Extension ligature.

The slur is a musical sign that can have different meanings depending on its placement, duration and notes involved.

1. As a sign of prolongation in the form of a curved line that connects the heads of two consecutive notes of the same height, but not necessarily of the same value. It indicates that they will be reproduced as a single note with a duration equal to the sum of the values of the individual notes. For example, a black linked to a white has the total value of a white with a pointer.
2. As a sign of articulation between different notes and without forming a sentence.
3. As a sign of the musical phrase.

Graphic representation

The slur is represented in scores and parts by an arcuate line whose ends must be aligned on the same horizontal level (see Figure 1 and 2), since they will always join notes of the same pitch. This line begins to be drawn to the right of one note head to the left of the next note head, without actually touching them at any time.

Figure 2. Several extension ligatures.

On the other hand, the curve of the ligature will be oriented precisely in the opposite direction of the direction of the stem of the figures that it joins. In the case of the round ones that lack stems, it is acted as if they did; in such a way that the slur will bow up or down depending on its location on the staff. Lastly, when the directions of the plicas are different, the slur is always curved upwards.

When a series of successive notes are joined by slurs, it is necessary to draw a slur between every two figures that are part of that succession.

Uses and effects

The slur, also called bow, is used to join two notes that are at the same pitch, adding the value of the second to the first note.

Sometimes two notes can be represented linked that could be written with a single dotted note. For example, a quarter note tied to an eighth note has the same duration as a dotted quarter note. This circumstance may be due to various causes:

• A compass bar is between both notes.

Figure 3. Tilt through the compass bar

• The second note is the beginning of a metric grouping that falls into a strong time of the compass.

Figure 4. ligature through the pulse, followed by the same rhythm scored without ligature.

This change in notation by choosing the slur instead of the longest-value musical figure does not affect performance, it is simply used to make the music easier to read.

Differentiation of similar signs

The slur or rhythmic should not be confused with other similar musical signs.

• La ligature of expression or joint ligature is similar only in appearance. It collects several notes that do not necessarily have to be at the same height indicating that they are interpreted "leavened". This means that the first note does not stop ringing until the next one is heard.
• La phrase mark is a curved line extending over a passage that is visually indistinguishable from legato e indicates that the passage must be interpreted as a single sentence.

In musical compositions we can find passages in which several notes in a row are joined with slurs. Such a sequence can also be part of a larger phrase contained in a slur or a phrase mark at the same time. In these cases, the different types of ligatures must be used simultaneously and clearly distinguishable.