When two notes are tied together, the second one is not picked, which I understand when they're on the same string, but what happens when they aren't?
If I'm going from an F to a G or a D to a E, how do I get the sound from the second note that's now on a separate string?
If they're not on the same string, it isn't a tie.
In standard notation, curved lines are used for three different purposes:
1. A tie. This connects two (and only two) note heads that are the same pitch. Need to connect three notes? You need two ties - one from the first note to the second, another from the second to the third. Tied notes represents one sound - you play the first tied note and hold it for the duration of all tied notes.
2. A slur. This connects two (and only two) note heads that are different pitches. Slurs can also occur in a group of three or more notes, but you'll need more than one slur - they're just like ties in the way they're used. Slurs represent two or more sounds produced by a single attack - in other words, one pick. In most cases this is possible through a hammer on, pull-off, slide, or bend (all of which can be represented by a slur). When a slur marking occurs between notes on two different strings, you connect them as smoothly as possible.
3. A "legato line" (also called a "phrase mark"). This connects more than two note heads under (or over) a single curved line. All of the notes under the legato line are to be played as smoothly connected as possible.
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Gotcha, thanks! I was confusing ties and slurs :oops:
