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Music vocabulary · Notation and Reading Music

Slur

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, slur means: A curved line over or under notes that groups them into a connected musical gesture; its practical meaning depends on the instrument.

In Turkish: ifade bağı, legato bağı

How it is used

Used in notation and lessons. For bowed strings it often marks one bow stroke; wind players commonly avoid retonguing notes within it.

Example sentences

  1. Play the four violin notes under the slur in one bow stroke.

    The marking groups several pitches within one continuous movement of the bow.

  2. The flute teacher added a slur to show where the phrase should flow smoothly.

    The new mark guides how the player connects the notes in that phrase.

Common collocations

  • phrase slur
  • add a slur
  • notes under a slur
  • articulationThe way notes are started, connected, separated, or accented in performance, shaping clarity and musical character.
  • bowingThe way a string player uses the bow, including direction, pressure, speed, and phrasing, to shape sound and articulation.
  • sheet musicMusic written or printed in notation on paper or a screen, so that musicians can read and play it.

More terms: Notation and Reading Music

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