Note Values and Rhythm

Music Happens in Time

Pitch tells you which note to play; rhythm tells you how long to hold it. Note values are the symbols that show duration, measured in beats — the steady pulse you tap your foot to.

The Family of Note Values

A whole note lasts four beats. A half note lasts two beats, so two half notes fill the same time as one whole note. A quarter note lasts a single beat, and an eighth note lasts half a beat — two eighths fit inside one beat.

Reading the Shapes

An open oval is a whole or half note, a filled oval with a stem is a quarter note, and a flag or beam turns it into an eighth note. Count "1–2–3–4" steadily and feel how each value claims its share of the bar.