Tie curvature direction

The direction of tie curvatures is determined by the stem direction of the notes/chords at each end of the tie, the number of notes in chords at each end, and the number of voices on the staff.

Tied single notes in single-voice contexts

If a single voice is active and a tie joins two single notes, tie curvature direction is determined by the stem directions of the notes at either end of the tie.

  • If the stem directions match, the tie curves away from the notes and is positioned on the notehead side.

  • If the stem directions differ, the tie curves upwards by default.

Tied chords in single-voice contexts

If a tie joins two chords, the direction of the ties is determined by the number of tied notes in the chords.

  • For an even number, the ties are equally split between curving towards the notehead end and curving towards the stem end.

  • For an uneven number, the majority of ties curve towards the notehead end.

Tied notes in multiple-voice contexts

Ties are positioned on the stem side and are curved as follows:

  • For up-stem voices, ties curve upwards.

  • For down-stem voices, ties curve downwards.

  • For overlapping/interlocking pitches in multiple voices, the rules for tied chords in single-voice contexts apply. All notes in all voices are treated as if they belong to a single voice.

Tip

You can change the default tie curvature direction of ties between notes with different stem directions on the Ties page in Engrave > Engraving Options.

You can also change the curvature direction of ties individually.