4.3: Dots and Ties
We have a whole note, which lasts for four beats, and a half note, which lasts for two beats, but we don’t have a durational value that lasts three beats. To do so requires using a dot or a tie.
A tie links two notes together to create a new duration. Ties occur between notes of the same pitch. A slur , which looks like a tie, is placed over or under notes of different pitches and means to play them in a connected manner.
A dot added to a note increases the duration of that note by half. A second dot represents half the value of the first dot, or a quarter of the original duration. (These are known as “double-dotted notes.”)