A
slur is a symbol in Western
musical notation indicating that the
notes it embraces are to be played without separation, i.e. with
legato articulation. A slur is denoted with a
curved line generally placed over the notes if the
stems point downward, and under them if the stems point upwards:
Notation
The slur is not to be confused with two other similar musical symbols. The
tie is a curved line that links two notes of the same pitch to show that their durations are to be added together. The
phrase mark is a curved line that extends over a passage which is visually indistinguishable from the slur, and indicates that the passage is to be interpreted as a single phrase.