kānokano is usually one above the tēnoa, while the laulalo is one below. In addition the exact position of the middle C depends on the key signature as in this schedule: When 3 notes are shown, the fasi and alto are together on top, the tenor is in the middle, and the bass is on bottom. When 2 notes are shown, the tenor and bass are taken together, as otherwise the basses would come too low. Some musicians, however, take the bass octave always equal the tenor, causing for some signatures the bass coming too high. Then they need 2 tails under a number to reach a really low note. Duration The duration of a note is not indicated by a different symbols, as in the international music notation but by the number of notes in a beat. The more notes in a beat, the shorter each has to be. For example, in "Ko e fasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo e ʻOtu Tonga" (the national anthem), we find as first measure: |3:-3/5:5|6:4/5:-5| Every vertical bar (|) is a measure separator (often double at the begin and end of a stanza). As this music has a time signature, there appear 4 beats, every beat separated by a colon (:) or slash (/) (they are equal, but the slash is usually used in the middle and the colon elsewhere). The time signature also indicates that every beat is a quarter note. Therefore, every single digit in a beat is a quarter note. When 2 digits appear they are each eighth notes and so forth. No digit at all, or a zero, is used for a rest, while a dash is a tie. The first measure of the example above thus becomes: a C note for a dotted quarter duration, another C for an eighth, followed by two quarter Es. |3:-|-:-| is an example for a time signature; 2 beats in a measure, every beat a quarter note long. This results in a whole C. Note that the tie dashes can extend into following measures, unlike the international music notation where the note is to be repeated and then tie arcs are needed. Some Tonga musicians following that example, would also write a 3 in the second measure instead of a dash and also would then need tie arcs. More time signatures In (like |3:4|) and (like |3:4:5|) and (like |3:4/5:6|) time signature