The two kinds of curved line are drawn the same way, but they do very different things: a tie adds up the lengths of the notes and a slur does not change them. In this exercise you say which one it is and how long the first note lasts that it covers, in the time signature shown.
Tie or slur: how to tell them apart
It is enough to look at the notes the curve connects:
- If they are the same note (the same pitch), it is a tie. The second note is not played again: the first one is prolonged, and their lengths add up. It is what is used to extend a note across the bar line, and it appears that way in the exercise.
- If they are different notes, it is a slur. They are played smoothly, without a break in the sound, but each note keeps its own length.
For example, in 3/4, a quarter note tied to an eighth note of the same pitch sounds as a single note of 1 + ½ = 1½ beats. If the two notes were different, the curve would be a slur and the first note would still last 1 beat. In 6/8 the same quarter note tied to an eighth note would last ⅔ + ⅓ = 1 beat, because there the beat is the dotted quarter note.
Printable worksheet (PDF)
The same exercise on paper: 12 curved lines, six in simple and six in compound time signatures, on one A4 sheet. With a separate answer sheet, with the answers in red.
Download the worksheet (A4 PDF) Answers
You can print and photocopy it freely for class. There are more rhythm exercises in note value and rhythm exercises.