🪢 To fasten together 👔 A neck cloth ⛓️ To restrict 🤝 A connection 🤝 To connect ⚖️ Same score ⚖️ To draw 🔗 A fastener 🪵 A support beam 🎼 To connect notes 🎼 A note connector

to tie

1 7.4

To join two notes that are the same so they sound as one longer note

verb
/taɪ/

Specialized

: ligar (notas)

In the sheet music, the composer used a curved line to tie the two notes together, indicating they should be played as one continuous sound.
tie notes
tie eighth notes

Examples

When you tie two notes of the same pitch, it shows that they should be held for the duration of both notes.
Appropriate music ties them all together and often gives a welcome break from descriptions and statistics.

Academic text (1999)
Ask only for information closely tied to and justified by a job-related need.

Academic text (1996)
Proposals thus far include tying any federal block grant increases to the GNP.

Academic text (1996)
In that sense, their story is more closely tied to Virgil's than is Lc Franc de Pompignan's.

Academic text (2000)
Using the first explanation—dotted quarter as three eighth notes tied together—you can draw arrows beneath each eighth note.

Academic text (2007)
To create a smooth melody, the musician decided to tie the notes with a slur marking between them.

Synonyms

to link

vsto tie

345 1.1

To join two things together physically

connects same pitch notes in music to make one sustained sound

Idioms

to tie the knot

Informal

31 3.1

To get married and begin life together as a couple

to tie someone's hands

14 4.8

Stop someone from acting or making decisions

to tie oneself in knots

Informal

1 7.9

To become very confused and anxious because you worry too much

Phrasal Verbs

to tie up

221 3.8

Cause a delay that stops activity or movement

to tie up

57 2.2

Fasten something with rope so it cannot move

to tie up

49 3.3

Finish the last small details to complete something

to tie down

41 4.0

To fasten something with rope or straps to keep it from moving

to tie someone's shoes

35 1.0

To fasten someone's shoe laces so they do not come loose

to tie in

33 4.1

To connect to another idea or fact in a clear way

to tie down

31 4.7

To limit someone's freedom because they have responsibilities

to tie up loose ends

Informal

21 3.6

Finish small remaining tasks and problems before ending a project

to tie up

21 6.8

Put money into something so it is not quickly available

to tie in knots

11 3.2

Fasten a rope or string so it does not come loose

to tie one's future to

6.3

Make your future depend on a single person, plan or choice

to tongue-tie

7.7

Make someone unable to speak easily because they feel nervous or surprised

Compounds

bow tie

45 2.8

A small necktie tied in a bow, worn for formal events

black tie

Formal

27 3.7

A formal evening dress code for men that requires a black jacket and bow tie

black-tie

Formal

10 4.4

Requiring formal evening clothes like a tuxedo and bow tie for men

tongue tie

Specialized

10 8.2

A small piece of skin under the tongue is too short from birth and stops the tongue moving well

tie that binds

7 5.3

A shared feeling or value that keeps people together

tie-in

Specialized

7 6.5

Something used to join two or more parts in building work

tie-up

3 6.3

A situation where normal activity stops or slows because of a block

tie clip

3 3.0

A small metal piece that holds a tie to a shirt to keep it in place

railroad tie

Specialized

2 4.1

A heavy wooden or concrete beam laid across railway tracks to hold rails in place

white tie

Formal

2 7.0

A very formal men's evening dress code requiring a white bow tie and tailcoat

bolo tie

2 7.5

A thin cord worn around the neck and held by a decorative clasp as a necktie

string tie

1 6.5

A very narrow necktie made of string or ribbon and tied in a bow

tie tack

1 6.5

A small decorative pin that holds a tie to a shirt

skinny tie

Archaic

1 4.1

A narrow necktie popular in the late 1950s and 1960s

tie-up

1 4.4

A connection between people or groups to work together

tie rack

1 1.6

A small holder that keeps ties neat in a closet

white tie and tails

Formal

1 8.1

A very formal evening outfit for men with a white bow tie, white waistcoat, black tailcoat, and matching trousers

cup tie

Jargon

1 6.3

A match between teams in a cup competition where the loser is out

old school tie

1 8.4

A narrow cloth worn at the neck to show which school someone went to and social connections

tie rod

Specialized

1 6.7

A rod that connects the steering parts to the front wheels so they turn together

white-tie

Formal

1 8.0

Evening dress so formal that men wear white bow ties and tailcoats

tie beam

Specialized

1 7.3

A long horizontal piece that stops two roof sides or walls spreading apart

Windsor tie

1 5.3

A wide necktie often tied in a large knot for formal occasions

Surface Forms

tie infinitive

tied past

tied past participle

tying present participle

ties third person singular

Etymology

To tie notes (verb) in music means to 'connect' same-pitched notes so they sound as one long note rather than two separate ones.