What is a slur pitch?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 20, 2026
A slur is a curved line that connects two or more notes of different pitches. A slur means the notes should be played as smoothly as possible, with no space in between.
What is an example of a slur in music?
In other words, a slur does not connect two or more notes of the same pitch, but rather includes a variety of pitches. In the example above, the long curved line stretching across the top of four measures of music is a slur.
What do slurs mean for strings?
And in Woodwind music, you'll often see staccato dots under a slur; this means to rearticulate each note gently. – In String music, a slur often is used to indicate bowing, i.e. keep the bow moving in one direction, and then change the bow direction between slurs (unless otherwise indicated).
How do you make a slur?
To add a slur to one voice only: Hold down Ctrl (Mac: Cmd ) and select the last note that you want the slur to cover. To add slurs to all voices: Hold down Shift (Mac: Cmd ) and select the last note that you want the slurs to cover.
How do you tell the difference between a tie and a slur?
Both a slur and a tie is a curved line. When you see a curved line between two notes, check to see if the notes are of the same pitch or different pitches. If they are the same pitch, it's a tie. If they are different pitches, it's a slur.
42 related questions foundHow do you slur on a piano?
Repeated Notes under a Slur
Pianists play legato either by overlapping notes – even if that overlap is micro-thin – or by placing the attack of one note so close to the release of the note before it that there is no “space” (or audible silence) between them whatsoever.
What does a slur sound like?
A slur is a symbol in Western musical notation indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation). A slur is denoted with a curved line generally placed over the notes if the stems point downward, and under them if the stems point upwards.
Can you play slurs on guitar?
On guitar it is also a specific technique used to accomplish the musical result. A slur is shown in notation with a curved line placed over or under the notes. The common result of playing slurs on the guitar is to facilitate legato and sometimes, if wanted, create a strong to weak sound between notes.
Can you slur on guitar?
A "slur" refers to playing two or more notes by playing the first with the right hand fingers, then lifting or placing fingers without right hand stroke. The result is a very legato feel. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: Ascending and Descending.
How do you slur on Musescore?
Using the mouse, select the first note of the slur, hold down the Ctrl key (resp. ⌘ key on a Mac) and select the last note for the slur, and press S to add the slur. Note: It is not possible to change the start and end anchor notes using the mouse. Use Shift⇑ + ← or → to adjust the start and end points of a slur.
Do you tongue slurs in music?
generally any note without a slur sign over it should be lightly tongued, then heavier if accented or staccato. If the notes have a slur marking over them then you tongue the first note of the set of slurred notes (if that makes sense!). You always need to tongue the first of the slurred notes.
What does slur mean in Tiktok?
The "d-slur" is another way of saying the derogatory and homophobic slang word "dyke", which means lesbian. It's often used to describe a masculine or "butch" lesbian in particular.
What is a slur in music for kids?
Slur is a western musical notation that conveys playing a sequence of two or more notes without taking any pause in between them. To be more specific, the notes should be played in legato. Legato means that each note has to be played smoothly and should be connected with another note.
Is legato slur?
Legato notes are often slurred; that is, a group of notes is played together in one down-bow or up-bow. In the music, a slur looks like a curved line over the notes that are all in one bow.
What is a phrase of music?
In music theory, a phrase (Greek: φράση) is a unit of musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own, built from figures, motifs, and cells, and combining to form melodies, periods and larger sections.
How do you play a slur note on a guitar?
A slur is when you play one note with your right hand, and then the left-hand sounds another note (without the right hand playing again). This happens often in classical guitar music and is one of the tricks we can use to play fast passages.
Is a slur a slide guitar?
A slur is a musical phrase or melody that is connected by various techniques including slides, hammer-ons and bends. In a slur, the first note is attack. This is the moment the piano key is pushed or the guitar string is plucked. ed and then the rest of the notes are played without striking again.
How do you slur on a bass guitar?
Just like hammer-on notation, a pull-off uses a slur mark connecting two (or more) descending notes. A slur is an arced line. This is found in both musical notation and bass tab. In some notation the slur symbol has "P" or "PO" written above or below the arced line indicating a pull-off.
How do you do slurs on a classical guitar?
1. Place finger 1 and 2 on the 5th and 6th fret on the same string. 2. Sound the first note with a right hand stroke then snap the 2nd finger down to the adjacent string while keeping a good left hand shape.
What is slur piano?
A slur is a curved line that connects two or more notes of different pitches. A slur means the notes should be played as smoothly as possible, with no space in between.
What is the purpose of a slur?
A slur is a musical notation that informs the musician to play a sequence of two or more notes without pausing in between notes, like slurring all the notes together. In more technical terms, a slur means you should play the notes in legato.
What is a phrase mark in piano?
A phrase mark is used to express a complete musical thought; a tie is used to connect adjacent pitches together to produce a longer note; while a slur is used to connect a group of different pitches together to produce a smoother musical line, While all three phrase marks (phrase, slur, and tie) look the same, they ...
What is accented note?
In music, an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a particular note or set of notes, or chord, either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark. Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a performance of a musical phrase.
What does a staccato note sound like?
A dot above or below a note tells you to play it short and detached. This should not be confused with a dot after a note which alters its value. Short, detached, jumpy notes are called staccato.