Note values and rests
Whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes, their rests and the dot; how each note's length is measured.
Essential
Content under musical review. It may contain inaccuracies.
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Whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes, their rests and the dot; how each note's length is measured.
Essential
Note values tell you how long a note lasts relative to the beat. Rests tell you how long a silence lasts. Each value is half the previous one, so the whole system is built on dividing by two.
The same tempo of 80 bpm, with shorter and shorter values. Each row fits twice as many notes as the one before in the same time:
In 4/4, with the quarter note as the beat:
| Value | Length in quarters | How many fit in 4/4 | Matching rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 4 | 1 | block hanging from the fourth line |
| Half | 2 | 2 | block sitting on the third line |
| Quarter | 1 | 4 | zigzag stroke |
| Eighth | 1/2 | 8 | stroke with one flag |
| Sixteenth | 1/4 | 16 | stroke with two flags |
Consecutive eighths and sixteenths are joined with beams (one or two) instead of separate flags. That makes it easier to see where each beat starts.
Set the metronome to 70 bpm and play the open A string through this sequence, one bar each:
Then swap some notes for rests: mute the string with your palm or by easing off fretting-hand pressure exactly on time. A rest gets counted too.
A typical 4/4 strumming rhythm mixes quarters and eighths: quarter, quarter, eighth, eighth, quarter. Try it on G, then on C.
Practise reading the rhythm alone: say "ta" on every attack and tap the beat with your foot. Once the rhythm is steady, apply it to a chord or a single note. Separating rhythm from pitch speeds up reading a lot.
Rhythm & accompanimentRhythm readingRead and play note values and rests accurately against the pulse.After the sixteenth come the thirty-second (1/8 of a quarter, three flags) and the sixty-fourth (1/16, four flags). A double dot adds half and then a quarter of the value: a double-dotted quarter lasts 1¾ beats.
A whole rest also marks a full bar of silence in any time signature. Gardner Read details these conventions and how to beam notes so the beats of the bar are always visible.