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Ties, Dots, and Syncopation: Reading Longer Notes and Off-Beat Rhythms

Capítulo 8

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

1) Dotted Notes: The Dot Adds Half the Value

A dot placed after a note (or rest) increases its duration by half of its original value. Think of it as: original + (original ÷ 2). Dotted rhythms are common in flute parts because they create forward motion and often place note changes off the beat.

Written	Math	Total Duration	In 4/4 (beat-based)
Dotted half note	2 + 1	3 beats	Hold across beats 1–3
Dotted quarter note	1 + 1/2	1.5 beats	Beat 1 through “&” of 2
Dotted eighth note	1/2 + 1/4	3/4 beat	“1” through “a” of 1 (in 16ths)

Beat-based examples (4/4)

Use subdivision to “place” the end of the dotted note precisely.

Dotted quarter = 1.5 beats. Count in eighths: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. A dotted quarter starting on beat 1 lasts through 1 & and ends on 2.
Dotted eighth = 3/4 beat. Count in sixteenths: 1 e & a 2 e & a .... A dotted eighth starting on 1 lasts 1 e & and ends on a (the 4th sixteenth of the beat).

Example A (4/4, count in eighths) Dotted quarter + eighth:  | dotted ♩  ♪ | Count: | 1 & 2 & | Change note on beat 2

Example B (4/4, count in 16ths) Dotted eighth + sixteenth: | dotted ♪  ♬ | Count: | 1 e & a | Change note on “a”

2) Ties vs. Slurs: Same Look, Different Job

Ties and slurs both look like curved lines, but they mean different things when you read and play.

Tie: connects two notes of the same pitch. You do not re-articulate the second note; you hold the sound for the combined duration.
Slur: connects different pitches. You keep the air moving and change fingers smoothly; you usually tongue only the first note of the slur group (unless marked otherwise).

Marking	Connects	What you do	What you count
Tie	Same pitch to same pitch	One sustained note (no re-tongue)	Add the values together
Slur	Different pitches	Legato change of notes	Count each note’s rhythm normally

Quick reading test

If the noteheads are on the same line/space (same pitch) and connected: it’s a tie.
If the noteheads are on different lines/spaces (different pitches) and connected: it’s a slur.

3) Ties Across Barlines: How to Count Notes That Cross Measures

Composers tie across a barline to keep the rhythm clear inside each measure (and to show accents/strong beats correctly). For you, the player, the tie means: keep holding through the barline while your counting continues into the next measure.

Step-by-step: counting a tie across the barline

Step 1: Identify the first note’s value (how long it lasts in the first measure).
Step 2: Identify the tied note’s value (how much time it takes in the next measure).
Step 3: Add them to know the total length you must sustain.
Step 4: Count straight through the barline (don’t “restart” your sound at the new measure).
Step 5: Plan your breath: if the tie creates a long sustain, decide whether you need a breath before the tied note begins (if musically allowed).

Example C (4/4): tie across barline (quarter tied to quarter) | ♩~ | ♩ ... | Total = 2 beats held Count in eighths: | 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & | (hold through the barline; no re-tongue on beat 1)

Example D (4/4): half note tied to quarter across barline | 𝅗𝅥~ | ♩ ... | Total = 3 beats held Count: | 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & | (release after beat 2 in the new measure)

Common ensemble situation: “hold over the barline”

In ensemble parts, ties across barlines often mean you are sustaining while another section has moving notes. Your job is to keep the tone steady and the rhythm exact so the harmony stays locked.

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4) Basic Syncopation: Off-Beat Accents and Tied Rhythms

Syncopation happens when the musical emphasis shifts away from the strongest beats. In reading, this often appears as notes that start on an off-beat (like &) or notes that are tied across a strong beat, so the strong beat is “silent” for you (you’re holding, not re-attacking).

A) Eighth-note syncopation (off-beat starts)

A very common pattern is when a note begins on & and continues into the next beat. Subdivision keeps the entrance accurate.

Example E (4/4, count in eighths): | (rest) ♪  ♩ ... | Count: | 1 & 2 & | Enter on “&” of 1, then the next note aligns with beat 2

B) Syncopation created by ties (holding over a strong beat)

When a note is tied across a beat, you do not re-articulate on the beat—so the beat feels “missing” in your attacks. This is a classic syncopation in flute lines and accompaniment figures.

Example F (4/4, count in eighths): | ♪ ♩~♪ | Count: | 1 & 2 & | The tie makes you hold through beat 2 without tonguing there

How subdivision keeps syncopation accurate

Always know where the beat is, even if you don’t tongue on it.
Count the smallest useful grid: eighths for most syncopations; sixteenths if dotted eighths or quick entrances appear.
Place entrances by syllable (for example, enter on & or a), not by “feel.”

5) Practice Routine: Write Counting, Clap, Then Play Flute-Like Lines

Use this three-stage routine to make dotted rhythms, ties, and syncopation reliable under pressure.

Stage 1: Write-in counting under the notes

For each measure, write a steady counting line under the rhythm (choose eighths or sixteenths). Then mark:

Where each note starts (attack)
Where it ends (release or tie continuation)
Where you are holding through a beat because of a tie

Counting template (eighths in 4/4): 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Counting template (16ths in 4/4): 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Stage 2: Clap (or tongue on one pitch) while counting aloud

Clap only on the attacks; keep counting aloud continuously.
For ties, do not clap again on the tied note—just keep counting.
If you lose your place, slow down and switch to a smaller subdivision (sixteenths).

Stage 3: Play short flute-like lines (dotted rhythms + ties)

Use a comfortable register and focus on steady air. Tongue only where a new note begins (not on tied notes). The pitch content is simple so you can concentrate on rhythm.

Line 1: dotted quarter + eighth (beat-based placement)

4/4 Rhythm: | dotted ♩  ♪  ♩  ♩ | Counting (eighths): | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | Flute-like notes (example): | G (hold) A  B  A | Goal: change from dotted quarter to eighth exactly on beat 2

Line 2: dotted eighth + sixteenth (needs 16th subdivision)

4/4 Rhythm: | dotted ♪  ♬  ♩  ♩ | Counting (16ths): | 1 e & a 2 e & a ... | Flute-like notes (example): | A (hold) B  C  B | Goal: place the sixteenth precisely on “a”

Line 3: tie across the barline (sustain through measure change)

4/4 Rhythm: | ♩  ♩  ♩~ | ♩  ♩  ♩  ♩ | Counting (eighths): | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | Flute-like notes (example): | D  E  F~ | (F continues) E  D  C | Goal: no re-tongue on the downbeat of the new measure

Line 4: basic syncopation (off-beat entrance + tie)

4/4 Rhythm: | (rest) ♪  ♩~♪  ♩ | Counting (eighths): | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | Flute-like notes (example): | (rest) A  G~G  F | Goal: enter on “&” and hold through a strong beat without re-attacking

Self-check while practicing

If your entrances drift, slow the tempo and speak the subdivision louder than you play.
If ties sound re-articulated, practice whisper-tonguing only the first note and keeping the air constant.
If dotted rhythms feel uneven, isolate just the dotted pair (dotted note + following shorter note) and loop it with a metronome.

Now answer the exercise about the content:

In 4/4, what should you do when a note is tied across a barline (for example, a quarter note tied to a quarter note)?

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A tie connects the same pitch and means one sustained sound. When it crosses a barline, keep holding through the measure change, add the note values for total duration, and continue counting without re-tonguing.