Lesson 2

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Time and Measure

In music some notes last longer then others. We will measure how much they last in beats. So we will say a note last 1 beat,2 beat, etc, and we use subdivisions like 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 etc, also. Now let us look at some notations:

	A whole note or semibreve is a note represented by a hollow oval note head. Its length is typically equal to four beats in 4/4 time. Most other notes divide the whole note;
	A half note or minim is a note played for half the duration of a whole note and twice the duration of a quarter note. In time signatures with a denominator of 4, such as 4/4 or 3/4 time, the half note is two beats long.
	A quarter note or crotchet is a note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem usually points upwards if it is below the middle line of the stave or downwards if it is on or above the middle line.
	An eighth note or a quaver is a musical note played for one eighth the duration of a whole note, hence the name. Eighth notes are notated with an oval, filled-in note head and a straight note stem with one flag.
	Beams connect and emphasize quavers, for shorter note values we use several lines. For example for semiquavers we use two line and so on. A beam can connect several notes.
	A dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it. The dot adds a half as much again to the basic note's duration. If the basic note lasts 2 beats, the corresponding dotted note lasts 3 beats.

More on music notation at Modern musical symbols
To be continue ...

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