The Learning Area - Section 5
How To Read & Write Music
Understand Note Length
There are various types of notes, each of which is held for a different length of time. The way a note appears indicates how many beats it should last.
In most music:
Whole notes last four beats.
Half notes last two beats.
Quarter notes last one beat.
Any note shorter than a quarter note has one or more "hooks" to indicate its length. Each hook cuts the note's length in half.
Eighth notes (one hook) last one-half beat.
Sixteenth notes (two hooks) last one-quarter beat.
If two or more notes requiring hooks appear in a row, they're often connected with "beams." The number of horizontal lines in a beam indicates note length.
Two eighth notes connected by a beam
Music also has rests, which indicate silent beats. They're counted in the same way as notes, and correspond to the notes they represent.
Whole note rest
Half note rest
Quarter note rest
Eighth note rest
Sixteenth note rest
and so on...
Skip To Section:
Section 1 - Introduction
Section 2 - Names of Notes & Clefs
Section 3 - Find Where the Notes Fall on Staves
Section 4 - Find Where the Notes Fall on Keyboard
Section 5 - Understand Note Length
Section 6 - Understand Time Signatures
Section 7 - Understand Key Signatures