Other Rhythmic Essentials
A tie is a curved line connecting two noteheads of the same pitch, adding their durations together into one sustained sound. Ties are used to hold notes across bar lines or to create durations not expressible by a single note value. A slur looks identical but connects notes of different pitches, indicating legato articulation rather than duration extension.
A tuplet places a number of notes into the time normally occupied by a different number. The most common is the triplet: three notes in the time of two. In simple meter, a triplet of eighth notes fills one beat where two eighth notes would normally fit. Duplets (two notes in the time of three) occur in compound meter. Quintuplets, sextuplets, and other groupings are also possible and are labeled with the appropriate number.
Syncopation occurs when rhythmic emphasis falls on beats or parts of beats that are normally unaccented, creating a sense of rhythmic tension or momentum. Common syncopation patterns include accenting the offbeat (the "and" of a beat in simple meter), tying a weak beat into a strong one, or using rests on downbeats. Syncopation is fundamental to jazz, funk, Latin music, and much popular music.
