Phrase mark

A curved line over a group of notes showing that they should be shaped as a single musical sentence.

A phrase mark tells the performer where one musical thought begins and ends, which in singing and wind playing usually means where to breathe. On guitar it guides dynamics, vibrato and articulation rather than breath, so a marked phrase might be shaped louder at the peak and softer at the close. It is often confused with the slur and the tie, and printed music frequently leaves the two to be distinguished from context.

Example: A melody line covered by one long curve from its opening note to its final one is a single phrase.

Phrase mark

See also