barline

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablemusic

   A vertical line drawn through a stave in written music to mark the end of one bar and the start of the next.

   Grammar: A countable noun: a single barline separates two bars.

   Patterns

   • cross the barline
   • a barline between bars

   The melody crosses the barline and sounds as if it begins early.

   Draw a barline after every four beats.

   The composer placed a double barline at the end of the section.

2. 2nouncountablemusictechnical

   A thick or double vertical line used in a score to show the end of a section, a repeat, or the end of a piece.

   Grammar: Different styles of barline carry different meanings.

   Patterns

   • a final barline
   • a repeat barline

   A thick final barline closes the piece.

   The repeat barline tells players to go back to the start.

   A double barline marks the change from verse to chorus.

Word forms

Common combinations

cross the barline

The tied note crosses the barline into the next bar.

double barline

A double barline separates the two sections.

final barline

The final barline shows the music is over.

draw a barline

Use a ruler to draw a barline.

repeat barline

Look for the repeat barline with two dots.

Synonyms and how they differ

bar line

Bar line is simply the two-word spelling of the same term.

measure line

Measure line is the American way to say the same thing, though barline is also used there.

bar

A bar is the section between two barlines, not the line itself.

divider

Divider is a general word and does not tell you the line is in music notation.

Word family

bar noun

a unit of music marked by barlines

line noun

a long thin mark

stave noun

the five lines on which music is written

measure noun

the American word for a bar of music

Commonly confused: barline or bar?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “barline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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