"tied Notes"

Hello:
I'm working on Muris Varajic's Jazz Swing Lead lesson and in the tab is a symbol L, meaning a "tied note" for the previous note:


--------|-------7---------------------|
----5--|--L---------6-------L--------|
--------------------------------------|

So, what's a "tied note" anyway?

Thanks for any help,
Pappy

Oh, Lord: Where To Start

Hello:

Recently retired from high school teaching after thirty years. Yes, an old timer among the rank and frets? I'm a self-taught, play-what's-in-my-head kinda player, so I figure maybe it's possible (now that I have all this free time) to break years of bad habits (never had a formal lesson). So joined GMC. I picked up my first guitar after listening to Mike Bloomfield. I've always wanted to "sound" like him. You know, with those T-Bone sounding licks. They've been in my head a long time. Like to get 'em out. So I'm thinkin' maybe start with scales and modes. I can play little bit out of a box (E, G, A). Or maybe try to learn a whole solo over I-IV-V first. Browsing levels, seems like I'm 1-4, but maybe because I know many "pieces" (50 Hot Blues Licks of All Time!) but don't know how to put them all together. Yeah, too many pieces, and I don't know where to start. Anyway, all I know is that it feels like this might be the right place to spend my time.

PD

I play a "Texas Style" Fender Strat w/2 single coil and a humbucker
Also, a 1970 Guild G-37 acoustic, spruce top, maple back and sides