Effects of Tying

Repeating sometimes and tying others will produce the most musical result. THE FINAL DECISION whether to repeat or tie at any particular moment depends on the answer to several questions:

  1. Is the SOPRANO part involved?
  2. Is the BASS part or are the INNER parts involved?
  3. In the context of the METER, do the two notes occur from strong to weak pulses, from weak to strong, or are they similar?
  4. What is happening in the OTHER PARTS at the same moment?
  5. Where do they occur relative to
    • the MUSICAL PHRASE?
    • the TEXTUAL PHRASE?
    • any REPETITIVE PATTERNS?

Each of these questions will be considered in the topic that follows, “In Context.”