“Music is the silence between the notes” said by a late great composer. Therefore, we need to learn how to represent the silence on the sheet and the notes too.
This lesson will be about representing notes and rests based on their rhythmic value. So let’s get started!!
Types of Notes and Rests
We will be classifying Notes and Rests based on the duration of time they’re being played and how we represent them on the sheet.
Whole Note and Rests
A whole note and a rest lasts for 4 beats.
The symbol for a Whole note is
The symbol for a Whole rest is
Here is an audio example of a note being played for a whole note followed by a whole rest. (There are 4 clicks at the start just to give you a sense of tempo)
Half Note and Rests
A half note and a rest lasts for 2 beats.
The symbol for a Half Note is
The symbol for a Half Rest is
You can remember Half Rest Symbol as a hat that sits on top of the line xP
Here is an audio example of a note being played for a Half note followed by a Half rest. (There are 4 clicks at the start just to give you a sense of tempo)
Quarter Note and Rests
A Quarter Note and a Rest lasts for 1 beat.
The symbol for a Quarter Note is
The symbol for a Quarter Rest is
Here is an audio example of a note being played for 2 Quarter notes followed by a quarter rest and a quarter note. (There are 4 clicks at the start just to give you a sense of tempo)
Eighth Note and Rests
An Eighth Note and an Eighth Rest lasts for half a beat.
The symbol for a Eighth Note is
The symbol for a Eighth Rest is
Here is an audio example of a note being played for two Eighth Notes followed by an Eighth rest and a Half Note. (There are 4 clicks at the start just to give you a sense of tempo)
Sixteenth Note and Rests
When you further divide the Eighth Note in two you get a Sixteenth Note. Therefore, a Sixteenth note and a Sixteenth Rests lasts for 1/4th a beat.
The symbol for a Sixteenth note is
The symbol for a Sixteenth rest is
Here is an audio example
Additionally, you can further divide the sixteenth note into two, resulting in 32nd notes. However, you can continue down this path indefinitely, although these notes are not as commonly used. Therefore, we won’t be covering them in detail.
Dotted Notes and Dotted Rests
When you put a dot in front of a note, as shown in the image below, you’re extending its duration by half of its value. Therefore,
A dotted Quarter note = Quarter Note + Eighth Note.
Similarly, for Dotted Rests
A dotted Rest Note = Quarter Rest + Eighth Rest.
Below is the comparison of writing it both ways and an audio example playing it.
Note Ties
Ties are a way to elongate the duration of a note over multiple bars. Below is the example of a whole note lasting for 2 bars.
If we divide a quarter note by 3 instead of 2, we give the birth of triplets. However, since this topic is also extensive, I won’t cover them here. Nonetheless, you can read about them here.
That will be all for now. Next Lesson is here.
Cheers,
SonorousMoose xD
