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Rhythmic notation
How to count rhythmic notation
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Symbols of rhythmic notation
Musical notation uses the following symbols to represent note values and count rhythms:
Whole note (UK: semibreve)
empty note head without stem
4 beats long
Half note (minim)
empty note head with stem
2 beats long
Quarter note (crotchet)
black note head with stem
1 beat long
Eighth note (quaver)
black note head with stem and flag or beam
½ beat long
Sixteenth note (semiquaver)
black note head with stem and two flags or beams
¼ beat long
Whole rest (semibreve)
rectangle hanging from the 4th line
4 beats long
Half rest (minim)
rectangle sitting on the 3rd line
2 beats long
Quarter rest (crotchet)
curved symbol
1 beat long
Eighth (quaver)
single flag in the 3rd space
½ beat long
Sixteenth rest (semiquaver)
double flag in the 2nd and 3rd space
¼ beat long
Triplet
bracket or slur with the number 3
3 notes in the space of 2
Time signature
upper numerator indicates beats per bar, lower denominator defines beat unit
Dotted note/rest
dot after a note/rest extends it by its half duration (+ 50 %)
Tie
connects held note with next note to form a single extended note
Fermata
small half circle with dot above a note prolongs it at the musician's discretion
Symbols of rhythmic notation
Musical notation uses the following symbols to represent note values and count rhythms: