Don't think about it too hard Mike, maybe the term "levels" is an extra abstraction you don't need. Let me show you a couple of simple examples of when using ties makes the tied notation conventional. The notes split by ties don't hide the beats the way a full note can.
I've put quarter notes at the top and eighth notes at the bottom just for reference. The music are the "F" notes on the staff. The red line is where the measure divides by a half note (two beats to the left and two beats to the right of the red line).
If you look at the note the blue arrow is pointing to in the first example it starts on a quarter note division and ends on a quarter note division. I've shown this with the red box in the 1/4 note reference.
In other words, "the half note begins and ends on a division of the 1/4 note". It sustains across the half note division. This notation is acceptable because the note begins on a quarter note and sustains across a half note division but a 1/4 note is the next division smaller than a 1/2 note.
In this second example the note the blue arrow is pointing to begins on an 1/8th note division and ends on an 1/8th note division (as shown by the red box in the 1/8th note reference).
Here you have a note starting on an 1/8th division (notice the note is directly above a reference 1/8th but is between 1/4 notes), the "and" of two-and. The note sustains through a half note division. This is not "conventional" because an 1/8th is not one step smaller than a 1/2 it is two steps smaller than a 1/2.
1/8 -> 1/4 -> 1/2
That simple example is not too hard to read but by convention the 1/4 should be split with a tie like this
This method shows explicitly where the third beat is, even though the note is being sustained. It makes it easier for the performer reading the music to know where the beats are. Nothing is hidden.
I hope that helps.
Eric
I've put quarter notes at the top and eighth notes at the bottom just for reference. The music are the "F" notes on the staff. The red line is where the measure divides by a half note (two beats to the left and two beats to the right of the red line).
If you look at the note the blue arrow is pointing to in the first example it starts on a quarter note division and ends on a quarter note division. I've shown this with the red box in the 1/4 note reference.
In other words, "the half note begins and ends on a division of the 1/4 note". It sustains across the half note division. This notation is acceptable because the note begins on a quarter note and sustains across a half note division but a 1/4 note is the next division smaller than a 1/2 note.
In this second example the note the blue arrow is pointing to begins on an 1/8th note division and ends on an 1/8th note division (as shown by the red box in the 1/8th note reference).
Here you have a note starting on an 1/8th division (notice the note is directly above a reference 1/8th but is between 1/4 notes), the "and" of two-and. The note sustains through a half note division. This is not "conventional" because an 1/8th is not one step smaller than a 1/2 it is two steps smaller than a 1/2.
1/8 -> 1/4 -> 1/2
That simple example is not too hard to read but by convention the 1/4 should be split with a tie like this
This method shows explicitly where the third beat is, even though the note is being sustained. It makes it easier for the performer reading the music to know where the beats are. Nothing is hidden.
I hope that helps.
Eric
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