Musical Notation
Rhythm Rhythm may be generally defined as a movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements.
Whole Note Covers every beat in 4/4 time. A whole note takes all four beats.
Half Note Half Note Is half the length of a whole note. It covers two beats.
Quarter Note Quarter Note Is 1/4 the length of a whole note. It is one beat.
Eighth Note Eighth Note It is 1/8 the length of a whole note; half the length of a quarter note. Two eighth notes make one beat.
Sixteenth Note Sixteenth Note It is 1/16 the length of a whole note; half the length of an eighth note. Four sixteenth notes equal one beat.
Thirty-Second Note Thirty-Second Note Is 1/32 the length of a whole note; 1/4 the length of an eighth note. Eight thirty-second notes equal one beat.
Sixty-Fourth Note Sixty-Fourth Note Is 1/64 the length of a whole note; 1/8 of an eighth note. Sixteen sixty-fourth notes equal one beat.
Meter Meter is the regular recurring pattern of strong and weak beats of equal duration; also known as time signature. The meter or time signature in a musical composition is indicated by a fraction, and located at the beginning of a piece of music. The lower number of the fraction tells what kind of note receives one beat. The upper number tells how many beats are in a measure.
Meter Example
The Grand Staff The Grand Staff is two sets of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch.
Pitches on the Line The pitches located on the lines for the Treble Clef are EGBDF. A mnemonic device is Every Good Boy Does Fine
The Space Pitches The pitches located on the spaces for the Treble Clef are FACE
Rests A rest is an interval of silence in a piece of music, marked by a sign indicating the length of the pause. Each rest symbol corresponds with a particular note value. Whole Gentleman takes his hat off. Half Gentleman leaves his hat on.