What are note values ​​in music? - The ULTIMATE Guide - Open Music Lessons (2023)

When working with written rhythm in Western music, the notation and duration of each note are crucial to understanding.rhythmNote values ​​are fundamental to understanding notation and rhythm.

Note values ​​in music theory are the symbols and names of notes that show therhythm and duration of the notes heard in western notation. Common note values ​​are quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, half notes, and whole notes. In American terminology, they are quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, half notes, and whole notes.

Our ultimate guide will provide you with the best images and explanations to help you understand all the note values, how to draw them, and how they sit on a staff.

Our article gives you the opportunity to go at your own pace while reading about note values. But if you prefer video, we've covered all the material here. {Add article video}

How are note values ​​related to rhythm in music theory?

Understanding note values ​​and how they relate to each other is key to our understanding of written notation. When we first learn this, knowing how the values ​​relate to each other is the most crucial factor. We'll start with one of the most common note values, theweave.

What is a crotchet in music?

Aweave(oSeminimaif you use American terminology) has a head and a note base. When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats does a quarter/quarter note last?

To speed up our learning, let's say the quarter note has a note value of 1 beat (This isn't always how we'll see in other posts, but for now it's a great way to describe the rating.)

Why don't you practice drawing some quarter/quarter notes or start putting them into notation software to get a "feel"? Copy our video above to help you.

Later we'll see how quarter notes compare to other note lengths and types, and how they fit into a "measure" of music. But for now, we'll seelet's remember.

What is a minimum in music?

AMinimum(ohalf noteif you're using American terminology) has a hollow (or empty) notehead and stem. When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats does aminimum/minimumspan?

In this article, we will say that a minimum lasts2 beatsas this is usually the case in mosttime signatures.

It is also extremely important to understand that a half note (half note) laststwice as longas seminima (seminima)

Why don't you practice drawing some minima/minimums or start putting them into notation software to get a "feel"? Copy our video above to help you.

Now that we have two note durations (quarter and half), we can begin to understand the relationship between note durations.

Next, let's look at thesemibreve (full note).

What is a whole note in music?

ASemibreve(ofull noteif you are using American terminology) has an empty or hollow notehead andNo arise from.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats does awhole note / whole notespan?

In this article, we will say that a whole note lasts4 beatsas this is usually the case in mosttime signatures.

It is also extremely important to understand that a whole note laststwice as longat least (half grade), and4 timesas long as a quarter note (fourth note).

Why don't you practice drawing some notes/full notes or start putting them into notation software to get a "feel"? Copy our video above to help you draw them correctly.

Now we have 3 note lengths to compare with each other, let's see how we can use smaller note lengths withcruzon their stems.

Next, let's look at thecolcheia (colcheia).

What is an eighth note in music?

AShaking(oeighth noteif you are using American terminology) has a full notehead, a stem, anda tail.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats does aColcheia / Colcheiaspan?

To speed up our learning, let's say theshakinghas a note value of ½ time (This isn't always how we'll see in other posts, but for now it's a great way to describe the rating.)

It is also extremely important to understand that an eighth note (eighth note) lasts HALF.sinceas seminima (seminima)

Why don't you practice drawing some eighth/eighth notes or start putting them into notation software to "feel" them? Copy our video above to help you.

Let's continue our journey into notes with tails and start looking at note length, which is half an eighth note; EITHERsemichorchea (note 16).

What is a sixteenth note in music?

ASemicolcheia(o16 usesif you are using American terminology) has a full notehead, a stem,and 2 tails.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats is a 16th/16th note?

For the purpose of comparing 16th/16th notes to our other note lengths, let's say thatsemicolqueiahas a note value of 1/4 time (This isn't always how we'll see in other posts, but for now it's a great way to describe the rating.)

It is also extremely important to understand that a sixteenth note (note 16) lasts HALF.sinceas an eighth note (note 8)

Why don't you practice drawing some 16th/8th notes or start putting them into notation software to "feel" them? Copy our video above to help you.

Note durations also become shorter than sixteenth notes and longer than short notes. We'll continue to explore these (slightly less common) note values. Beginning with sixteenth notes (notes 32).

What is a sixteenth note in music?

ADemisemicolcheia(oUse 32if you are using American terminology) has a full notehead, a stem,and 3 tails.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats does aSemicorche / note 32span?

For the purpose of comparing 16th notes/32nd notes to our other note lengths, let's say thesemicolqueiahas a note value of ⅛ of a beat (This isn't always how we'll see in other posts, but for now it's a great way to describe the rating.)

It is also extremely important to understand that a sixteenth note (note 32) lasts HALF.sinceas a sixteenth note (note 16)

Why don't you practice drawing some 16th/8th notes or start putting them into notation software to "feel" them? Copy our video above to help you.

The endshortthe length of the note that we will see ishemidemisemicolcheiasThese are half the length of the sixteenth notes. Go below to see in more detail.

What is a sixteenth note in music?

AHemidemisemicolcheia(ouse 64if you are using American terminology) has a full notehead, a stem,and 4 tails.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats is a sixteenth note / 64 note?

For the purpose of comparing 16th/16th notes to our other note lengths, let's say thehemidemisemicolcheiahas a note value of 1/16 of a beat (This isn't always how we'll see in other posts, but for now it's a great way to describe the rating.)

It is also extremely important to understand that a sixteenth note (note 64) lasts HALF.sinceas semicorchea (note 16)

Why don't you practice drawing some 16th/8th notes or start putting them into notation software to "feel" them? Copy our video above to help you.

The final duration of the note that we will see is thepresentation.This is the longest and possibly the least used note that we will look at in this article.

What is a brief in music?

Apresentation(odouble whole noteif you are using American terminology) has an empty or hollow notehead,No arise from,mione or two lines on each side.When drawn, it looks like this:

And in the notation software it looks like this:

How many beats is a short/full double note?

In this article, we will say that a whole note lasts8 beatsas this is usually the case in mosttime signatures.

It is also extremely important to understand that a breve (double whole note) laststwice as longas semibreve (full note), and8 timesas long as a quarter note (fourth note).

Why don't you practice drawing some whole short/double notes or start putting them into notation software to get "practice" on them? Copy our video above to help you draw them correctly.

So we've laid out all the most common (and least used) note values. Let's hear how they sound to each other.

What do the note values ​​sound like and how do they compare to each other?

The tempo has been set to the same tempo (fourth note / fourth note = 60 beats per minute) to make it easier to compare how each note value sounds differently compared to longer or shorter notes.

Example 1 (1 full note, 2 medium notes, 4 blacks, 8 corks, 16 semicorches) or (1 x full notes, 2 x medium notes, 4 x blacks, 8 x corches, 16 x semicorches)

Example 2 (16 semicorcheas, 8 corcheas, 4 black, 2 whites, 1 entera) or (16 semicorcheas, 8 corcheas, 4 blacks, 2 whites, 1 entera)

Example 3 (1 quarter note, 2 eighth notes, 4 semi-eighth notes, 8 semi-eighth notes, 16 semi-eighth notes) or (1 x quarter note, 2 x eighth notes, 4 x semi-eighth notes, 8 x 32 notes, 16 x 64 notes)

To find out how the notes are grouped and transmitted, click on our article “What is the bundle and grouping of notes in music?“.

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