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After learning musical notation, you need to know
how long to hold each note. Counting is a must when
learning to read so be sure to learn the definition of
music note length on a sheet. And the beat goes on!
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Understanding
Music Note Length
There are a variety of types of notes,
each of which is held for a different length of time. The
way a note appears shows how many beats it should
last.
In most music:
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Whole notes last four beats.
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Half notes last two beats.
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Quarter notes last one beat.
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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.
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Eighth notes (one hook) last one-half beat.
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Sixteenth notes (two hooks) last one-quarter
beat.
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These proceed on to thirty-second and sixty-fourth
notes (with three and four hooks, respectively). 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 gives note length.
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Two eighth notes connected by a beam
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Music also has rests, which
indicate silent beats. Music rests are counted in
the same way as music notes, and correspond to the
notes they represent.
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Whole note rest
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Half note rest
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Quarter note rest
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Eighth note rest
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Sixteenth note rest
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and
etc...
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More Great
Music Reading Tutorials and Tips
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Understanding
Key Signatures
- This might sound a little technical but it's not
really. Just a couple of symbols but key signatures
play a major role in how music is made.
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Understanding
Music Words
- Ever wonder about the little words written just
above the line in sheet music? Well, now you will
learn all about musical words and what they mean.
Now that you have learned more about musical note
lengths move on ahead to the next sheet lesson. Go
to it!!!
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