How to Show That a Chord Continues Into the Next Measure

A tie combines the durations of notes of the same pitch into one sustained sound. The second notehead records more time; it does not request another attack. When an entire chord continues, every note in that chord receives its own tie. If only some notes continue, only those notes receive ties. Tie notation and chord examples show both complete and partial chord ties.

For example, suppose your chord contains C4, E4, and G4, where the numbers identify octaves. If all three pitches continue unchanged into the following measure, connect C4 to C4, E4 to E4, and G4 to G4. Keeping the octave labels in a planning sketch helps you distinguish a held pitch from a newly played note an octave away.

Start with the intended onset and release. Work out how much time remains before the barline, then assign the remaining duration to the next measure. Tied durations add together; the barline determines where the written duration must be divided. The explanation of tied note values describes this additive relationship.

Here is an illustrative example in 4/4, counting each quarter note as one beat. You want C4–E4–G4 to start on beat 4 and last three beats. The two measures can be planned as follows:

Location	Written content	What the performer does
Measure 1, beats 1–3	Three quarter rests	Waits for the chord’s entrance
Measure 1, beat 4	Quarter-note chord: C4–E4–G4	Plays the chord once
Across the barline	Three ties, joining matching pitches	Continues holding all three notes
Measure 2, beats 1–2	Half-note chord: C4–E4–G4	Holds without another attack
Measure 2, beats 3–4	Half rest	Releases the chord at beat 3

The arithmetic is one beat before the barline + two beats after it = three beats of sound. Each complete measure still contains four beats. This example separates two checks that are easy to confuse: the duration of the sounding chord and the total rhythmic content of each measure.

If you instead want the chord to start on beat 3 and continue through the entire following measure, use a half-note chord tied to a whole-note chord. Under the same 4/4 counting assumption, that gives two beats plus four beats, or six beats altogether.

Check the continuation note by note. A matching pitch can remain held even when the surrounding harmony changes. LilyPond’s official notation reference explicitly supports partial chord ties and connects matching pitches when tying chords. LilyPond’s “Ties” reference provides examples.

Suppose C4–E4–G4 becomes C4–F4–A4 at the next barline. If you want C4 to continue while the other notes change, tie only C4. E4 and G4 end, and F4 and A4 begin at their written onset. This is an illustrative application of the partial-tie rule.

Use this decision table before adding any curves:

Intended action at the next measure	Notation decision
Keep every pitch sounding	Tie every matching notehead
Keep only selected pitches sounding	Tie only those selected notes
Play the same chord again	Leave the new attack untied
Move a note to another pitch or octave	Write the new note without a tie from the old pitch

A useful editing question is: “Does this particular note begin again here?” Answer it separately for each note. Two identical chord shapes may require a fresh attack; two different chord shapes may share a sustained note.

A slur and a tie can look similar, but they communicate different instructions. A tie joins matching pitches without a new attack. A slur describes articulation or phrasing and can span several notes. Drawing one large slur above two chords therefore does not specify that all their notes remain held. Steinberg’s “Ties vs. slurs” explains the distinction.

For a chord sustained through several measures, continue the ties between successive written notes. Each individual tie joins one notehead to the next; the connected sequence forms a tie chain. Check every intermediate connection rather than drawing a single phrase-length curve. Steinberg’s tie-chain explanation describes this structure.

Enter the musical durations and pitches first, then use the program’s tie command. The following procedures apply to the documented products and modes; a shortcut for a different application or older version may differ.

MuseScore Studio: tie chords that already exist

In normal mode, both chords must already be present. Select all the notes in the starting chord that should continue, then press T or click the tie button. MuseScore starts a tie from each selected note, allowing an entire chord to be tied at once. Selecting just one note is appropriate when only that note should continue. MuseScore Studio Handbook: “Editing notes and rests” documents this workflow.

Check the selection before applying the command. In this workflow, you are connecting existing notes. The handbook distinguishes it from note-input mode, where the tie command adds a destination note automatically. That difference matters when diagnosing an unexpected extra note. MuseScore’s normal-mode tie instructions explain both behaviors.

Dorico Pro 6.2: let the duration cross the barline

Dorico automatically creates ties when an entered duration requires division across a barline. Its manual gives the example of entering a half note where only a quarter-note duration remains in the measure: Dorico produces two tied quarter notes. You can also connect existing matching notes in Write mode with T or the Tie tool. Dorico Pro 6.2: “Inputting ties” documents these options.

Dorico’s meter and Note Grouping settings can change how a duration is displayed. If you require a particular subdivision, consult its Force Duration instructions rather than adjusting curves to imitate ties. The same manual explains that forced durations preserve specified rhythmic divisions where they fit within the bar. Dorico’s duration and grouping guidance covers this condition.

Use ordinary ties when the continuation has a specified rhythmic endpoint. A laissez vibrer, or “let ring,” tie has an open end and indicates that the sound should not be damped at the written note’s end. It serves a different purpose from a tie connected to a destination note. LilyPond’s laissez vibrer explanation describes that distinction.

Before choosing the mark, decide whether your instruction is “hold through these counted beats” or “allow the sound to ring.” For the first task, write the continuation’s note values and connect them with ordinary ties.

Review the passage in three passes:

1. Count the rhythm. Confirm the contents of each measure and calculate the chord’s total sounding duration separately.
2. Trace each sustained pitch. Follow it across the barline and check that every intended connection exists.
3. Mark the next attack. Identify exactly where each note is played again, especially when only part of the chord continues.

For the three-beat example above, your reading should be: attack on beat 4, continue through beats 1 and 2 of the next measure, then release at beat 3. Once the written durations, individual ties, and intended attacks agree, the passage gives the performer a clear instruction for carrying the chord into the next measure.

• Ties vs. slurs — Dorico SE 6.2
• Writing rhythms: Ties — LilyPond Notation Reference 2.26
• Editing notes and rests — MuseScore Studio Handbook
• Inputting ties — Dorico Pro 6.2
• Tie (music) — Wikipedia