Understanding Note Values
Here are a few points to help you understand note values and the language of musical notation:
1) Tempo (beats per minute) dictates the speed of a piece of music. If the tempo is 3 = 60, one quarter note is being played every second. If the time signature is * , then the information contained within 1 bar must run for the same duration as 4 x 1/4 notes (or 4 seconds). Any note type(s) can be used within the bar. Therefore, note values are like fractions, dividing the amount of notes being played over a specific time period into different amounts. At a fixed tempo, the greater the number of notes per bar, the greater the speed at which they are played.
2) Above each bar (Relative Value of Notes, opposite page) is the suggested counting used when playing that note type. Counting (either aloud or in your head) is a way of helping you play the notes correctly. This is especially useful when rests are introduced.
3) In * time, the digits 1 - 4 and the sounds 'e', '+', 'a' are used to signify fractional divisions of the bar.
4) Wherever possible, notes are grouped together to make reading easier, e.g., sixteenth notes are grouped together in fours rather than written individually.
5) The fraction name if inverted, gives you the number of beats per bar, e.g., 1/8 notes inverted = 8/1; therefore there are 8 x 1/8 notes in 1 bar of * time.
6) Working down (Relative Value of Notes, opposite page) the number of beats per bar doubles each time you move to the next note type. For example, there are twice as many 1/8 notes in 1 bar of * time as there are 1/4 notes. This also means that, at a fixed tempo, 1/8 notes are played twice as fast as 1/4 notes.
Reading music is like reading a language. Initially the process is slow and we identify only with individual notes. As you become more familiar with the language, you will recognize note groupings and even phrases.
Eighth and Sixteenth Note Combinations
The list below shows the accepted notation of all possible eighth and sixteenth note combinations, with a rhythmical equivalent using only sixteenth notes and sixteenth note rests. Each example is one beat (1/4 note) in length.
*Note: Any count which is in smaller type size, is spoken note played.
