Basic Music Theory Basic Music Theory Time Values: Semibreves, Minims, Crotchets, Quavers & Semiquavers Crotchets, Minims and Semibreves When we tap our feet or clap our hands 'in time' to a piece of music, we are clapping the steady beats of the music. At this level, our beats are shown like this: . This sign is called a crotchet or quarter note . The sign, , is used for a sound which lasts as long as two (2) crotchets. It is called a minim or half note . The sign, , is used for a sound which lasts as long as four (4) crotchets. It is called a semibreve or whole note . A semibreve lasts as long as four crotchets or two minims. We can also say that a semibreve has the same time value as four crotchets or two minims. Therefore a minim has the same time value as two crotchets and half the time value of a semibreve. Quavers and Semiquavers There are also time values that are shorter than crotchets/quarter notes!

The quaver or eighth note , , lasts for half the length of a crotchet, i.e. 1/2 of a beat. The semiquaver or sixteenth note , , lasts for quarter of the length of a crotchet, i.e. 1/4 of a beat. Therefore, two quavers last as long as one crotchet; and four semiquavers also lasts as long as one crotchet. Note When two quavers/eighth notes are written together, they can be beamed together as below: When four semiquavers/sixteenth notes are written together, they can be beamed together as below: {} The following chart shows the two names that can be given to each note symbol. The names on the left are American and the names on the right are British (you can use either form). The chart also shows the number of beats each note gets: Click here to be taken to a set of flashcards about this topic. Use these cards to help you learn and remember the note names and note values presented in this topic. For instructions on how to use the flashcards click here . Happy studying!

[b] [u]Crotchets, Minims and Semibreves [/b] [/u] When we tap our feet or clap our hands 'in time' to a piece of music, we are clapping the steady [b] beats [/b] of the music. At this level, our beats are shown like this: {} . This sign is called a [b] crotchet [/b] or [b] quarter note [/b]. The sign, {} , is used for a sound which lasts as long as [i] two (2) [/i] crotchets. It is called a [b] minim [/b] or [b] half note [/b]. The sign, {} , is used for a sound which lasts as long as [i] four (4) [/i] crotchets. It is called a [b] semibreve [/b] or [b] whole note [/b]. A semibreve lasts as long as four crotchets or two minims. We can also say that a semibreve has the same [b] time value [/b] as four crotchets or two minims.

Therefore a [i] minim [/i] has the same time value as two crotchets and [i] half [/i] the time value of a semibreve. [b] [u]Quavers and Semiquavers [/b] [/u] There are also time values that are shorter than crotchets/quarter notes! The [b] quaver [/b] or [b] eighth note [/b], {} , lasts for half the length of a crotchet, i.e. 1/2 of a beat. The [b] semiquaver [/b] or [b] sixteenth note [/b], {} , lasts for quarter of the length of a crotchet, i.e. 1/4 of a beat. Therefore, two quavers last as long as one crotchet; and four semiquavers also lasts as long as one crotchet.

[b]Note[/b] When two quavers/eighth notes are written together, they can be [b]beamed[/b] together as below: {} When four semiquavers/sixteenth notes are written together, they can be [b]beamed[/b] together as below: {} The following chart shows the two names that can be given to each note symbol. The names on the left are American and the names on the right are British (you can use either form). The chart also shows the number of beats each note gets: {} [ Click here] to be taken to a set of flashcards about this topic. Use these cards to help you learn and remember the note names and note values presented in this topic. For instructions on how to use the flashcards [ click here]. Happy studying! Time Values: Semibreves, Minims, Crotchets, Quavers & Semiquavers Crotchets - definition of crotchets by The Free Dictionary Crotchets - definition of crotchets by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Legal , Encyclopedia . crotch·et 2. Music See quarter note . 3. A small hook or hooklike structure.

[Middle English crochet, hook, quarter note, from Old French, hook; see crochet.] crotchet (ˈkrɒtʃɪt) n 1. (Music, other) music a note having the time value of a quarter of a semibreve. Usual US and Canadian name: quarter note 2. a small hook or hooklike device 3. a perverse notion 4. (Zoology) zoology a small notched or hooked process, as in an insect [C14: from Old French crochet, literally: little hook, from croche hook; see crocket] crotch•et 1. an odd fancy or whimsical notion. 2. a small hook. [1350–1400; Middle English crochet hook, staff with hook at end < Middle French] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: curve , curved shape - the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes uncus - (biology) any hook-shaped process or part 2. musical note , note , tone - a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound; "the singer held the note too long" 3.

strangeness , unfamiliarity - unusualness as a consequence of not being well known 4. crotchet - a small tool or hooklike implement hook - a curved or bent implement for suspending or pulling something Translations [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] N (Brit) (Mus) → negra f crotchet [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] n (MUSIC) → noire f crotchet (Brit Mus) → Viertelnote f; crotchet rest → Viertelpause f (inf: = cross person) → Miesepeter m (inf) crotchet [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] n (Brit) (Mus) → semiminima crotchet (ˈkrotʃit) noun in music, a note equal to half a minim. kwartnoot عَلامَة موسيقيّـة نِصْف سَوداء муз.

четвъртина нота semínima čtvrťová nota die Viertelnote fjerdedelsnode τέταρτο negra veerandnoot یک چهارم نت neljäsosanuotti noire רֶבַע תָּו संगीत में पाद स्वर četvrtinka negyed hangjegy setengah nada fjórðungsnóta semiminima 四分音符 4분 음표 ketvirtinė gaida ceturtdaļnots krocet kwartnoot firedelsnote , kvartnote ćwierćnuta یو ډول اشاره یا نښه ، چنګ semínima четвертная нота štvrťová nota četrtinka četvrt note fjärdedelsnot โน้ตเพลงมีค่า ¼ ของโน้ต dörtlük (音樂) 四分音符 чверть, четвертна нота ربع سُ

ر كى علامت nốt đen （音乐中）四分音符 Want to thank TFD for its existence?

Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: punctuation References in classic literature ? I mean, sir, the same ancient Catholic Church to which you and I, and Captain Peleg there, and Queequeg here, and all of us, and every mother's son and soul of us belong; the great and everlasting First Congregation of this whole worshipping world; we all belong to that; only some of us cherish some queer crotchets noways touching the grand belief; in that we all join hands. View in context Deane were less stern in their views, but they both of them thought Tulliver had done enough harm by his hot-tempered crotchets and ought to put them out of the question when a livelihood was offered him; Wakem showed a right feeling about the matter,-- View in context She will not remain orbed in a thought, but rushes into persons; and when each person, inflamed to a fury of personality, would conquer all things to his poor crotchet, she raises up against him another person, and by many persons incarnates again a sort of whole.

View in context In Eliza Carthy's version of the song, the fourth bar is followed by one in 3/4, where the lyrics also have an elongated 'oh' tied for three crotchets: the last crotchet of bar 4 and the first two of bar 5 (Figure 7). No room for sleaze on Broad Street; INSIDE VIEW 43) The shape of the melody is largely the same, but the note lengths have been halved within the same 3/4 time signature, and Leveridge's regular beats have been replaced, at least in the first half of the tune, with alternating dotted crotchets and groups of three quavers, over a clear 3/4 accompaniment. The life and times of Black-EY'd Susan: the story of an english ballad The words are much longer than in English, so sometimes we have had to split the musical notes, for example make a minim into two crotchets, to make the words fit. Music Theory / Time / Sound and silence Total time is calculated by adding the notes and rests. Two quavers equal a crotchet. Four crotchets equal a semibreve.

Eight quavers equal a semibreve. This music plays for 16 crotchets. How long is 16 crotchets in seconds? See Tempo later in this book of Time. Picture notes If you are learning to read music for the first time, it might help to see the notes in pictures. Every note begins with a note-head. The notehead is oval shaped. A semibreve is an empty notehead Notes shorter than a semibreve have a stem. A stem is a vertical line jutting up from the right or down from the left of the notehead A minim is a semibreve with a stem. A crotchet is a minim with a coloured notehead A quaver is a crotchet with a tail. A semiquaver is a crotchet with two tails. A demisemiquaver is a crotchet with three tails. A hemidemisemiquaver is a crotchet with four tails. Clap your hands to the beat. Tails are beamed to the beat. Here are some examples. 2 quavers beamed to a crotchet beat. 4 semiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat.

8 demisemiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat. In a crotchet beat two factors are important. Notes are beamed in multiples of 4. You can slice the beam (beat) in half. 16 hemidemisemiquavers beamed to a crotchet beat. Here are some more complex patterns. In these patterns the beat is equal to a crotchet, so you can count up to the value of a crotchet under every beam. Remember, we beam the beat. Beam (beat) 1. Quaver - Semiquaver - Semiquaver Beam (beat) 2. Semiquaver - Semiquaver - Quaver Beam (beat) 3. Semiquaver - Quaver - Semiquaver Music Theory Note Duration The length of time that a note is played is called its note duration, which is determined by the type of note. The whole note has the longest note duration in modern music. The half note has half the duration of a whole note. Two half notes occupy the same amount of time as one whole note. The quarter note is a fourth (or a quarter) of a whole note. Four quarter notes occupy the same amount of time as one whole note.

Two quarter notes equal the duration of a half note. Notes smaller in duration than a quarter note have flags. Each flag halves the value of a note. An eighth note has one flag. Therefore, two eighth notes occupy the same amount of time as one quarter note. A sixteenth note has two flags, halving the value again. Two sixteenth notes equal the duration of an eighth note. Four sixteenth notes occupy the same amount of time as one quarter note. Although it is possible to have notes with three or more flags, they are seldom used. This chart displays the relationship of all five note types discussed in this lesson. Music Note Values Music Note Values Each music note written on the stave has a duration (length) as well as pitch. It is the design of the note that tells you its duration, in the same way as the position on the staff tells you the pitch. So each music note on a stave gives you two pieces of information, pitch and duration. This page focuses on the duration of each note. The Rhythm Tree In order to fully understand note lengths become familiar with the rhythm tree. Click here to learn more about the rhythm tree before continuing. The rhythm tree shows how the notes are related to each other.

Double Whole Note (Breve) Although the whole note is the longest note we generally use today, as is hinted at by the UK name there used be a note called a Breve. This is known as a Double Whole note in the US. The double whole note (breve) divides into 2 whole notes (semibreves) following the pattern of the other notes in the Rhythm Tree. The Double Whole note (Breve) is therefore worth 8 quarter notes (crotchets). The Double Whole note (Breve) fell out of use as smaller value notes were invented by composers. It can be notated as an open rectangle or a whole note with bars either side. Click here to read more about the double whole note (breve) and how our modern system of music notation developed. Make sure you have a few spare moments though as once you start reading the history of the music note it's difficult to stop! Whole Note (Semibreve) The Whole note is the longest music note in general use today. It is an open note with no stem. I always say to my students it looks like a hole…so it is easy to remember! The duration of the whole note is 4 quarter notes.

Half Note (Minim) The Half note duration is 2 quarter notes. It differs from the whole note in that it has a stem, although it is still open. For students I liken this stem to the line in the middle of the ½. This also helps them remember that 1 half note is worth 2 beats (in 4/4 timing, which is what they are usually working in when learning this). Quarter Note (Crotchet) The quarter note has become the de facto standard 1 beat music note. This has happened as the 4/4 time signature is the most popular (with 3/4 and 2/4 following close behind) and quarter notes have a duration of 1 in these time signatures. It is also roughly in the middle of the most used notes in the Rhythm Tree , making the quarter note the ideal candidate for ensuring whole notes don't become too long to count, and shorter, popular notes such as eighth and sixteenth notes aren't impossible to count in terms of them being fractions of a note. The quarter note changes from the half note as it is filled in, as opposed to empty. Eighth Note (Quaver) The eighth note is worth ½ of a Quarter note.

It may also be considered as a one beat note in 3/8 and similar timings, the 8 on the bottom of the time signature giving the clue that you are counting in eighth notes. This is the first note in the rhythm tree to have a flag. The flag is the name for the 'tail' added to the eighth note. Eighth notes may be a single as shown on the left, or joined together with beams. It is common to see eighth notes joined into sets of 2 to make one beat. Eighth notes may also be grouped in 3s, 4s, 5s, or even 6s depending on the time signature. Remember, however, that no matter how many eighth notes are joined, each one is worth half a quarter note. Sixteenth note (Semiquaver) The Sixteenth note is worth ¼ of a Quarter note. It may be beamed together in the same way as the eighth note. It changes from the eighth note by having an additional flag. Look at the picture and you see a double flag at the top of the stem. This is how you tell a note is a sixteenth note. Sixteenth notes may be beamed together in the same way as Eighth notes.

When you see sixteenth notes beamed together each note has a double flag. Here is an example of 4 Sixteenth notes beamed together, they are also common in groups of 2. Mix and match different music note values Eighth and sixteenth notes (and other music notes with flags) may be joined together. The key to knowing which note you are dealing with is very simple look at the number of beams joined to the stem of the note. By counting the beams joined to the stem of the note you will always know what type of note you are looking at. In the examples below you can clearly see how this works. In this example there are 2 Sixteenth notes (2 beams touching the stem) joined ot an Eighth note (1 beam touching the stem) In this example there is 1 Eighth note (one beam touching the stem) joined to 2 Sixteenth notes (2 beams touching the stem) This is a note grouping that often confuses people, but it needn't!

It is simply 1 Sixteenth note (2 beams on the stem) joined to an Eighth note (1 beam on the stem) joined to another Sixteenth note (2 beams on the stem!) You may also have noticed that the three grouping examples above all add up to 1 Quarter note! Thirty Second Note (Demisemiquaver) This is the point at which it becomes more fun to learn the UK music note terminology! The thirty-second note has 3 flags and may also be beamed together in the same way as the Eighth and Sixteenth notes. Sixty Fourth Note (Hemidemisemiquaver) As a young music student I never tired of the name hemidemisemiquaver, and for this, if nothing else, I am glad I learned the UK version of the note names rather than the US version. Hemidemisemiquaver just sounds so much more fun than Sixty-fourth note! The Sixty-fourth note has 4 flags and is the shortest note in general notational use. It may also be beamed together. The name hemidemisemiquaver actually makes sense if you look at it.

Each part of the name is the word for 'half' in Greek (hem), French (Demi) and Latin (Semi). So a hemidemisemiquaver is half of a half of a half of a quaver (eighth note)... i.e., a Sixty-fourth note! A Clear Path To Learning Music Theory For more help check out my new theory book Essential Music Theory: Learn To Read And Appreciate Music Vol. 1 available for iPad and Mac OS. A simple step-by-step course that takes you from complete beginner to grade 2 music theory Multi-faceted learning - audio, video, mind maps, clear musical examples Built in quizzes to check your understanding 4. Time Names of Notes Note Shapes To show how long notes should be held for, we draw them with different shapes. Most notes are made up of a note head and a stem (apart from semibreves, which have no stem). Crotchets The most basic and most common length of note is the crotchet, which looks like this: or this It’s a black note head on a basic stem, (or stick). A crotchet usually represents one beat.

As musicians, we can decide for ourselves exactly how long a beat should be, but often a crotchet lasts about one second. Here are 4 crotchet Ds. Your browser does not support the audio element. Notes which are twice as fast as crotchets are called quavers. They look like this: or this Notice that although the quaver has a black note head like the crotchet, it also has a small tail on the right side of its stem. Here are 8 quavers, F sharps and Gs. Your browser does not support the audio element. (To find out why there is only one sharp symbol, read Lesson 3 – Accidentals . Listen to the crotchets and quavers together. The quavers here are joined together in groups called beams - this makes them easier to read. The rules about beaming are explained in Lesson 7 – Beaming . Your browser does not support the audio element. Minims are twice as long as crotchets. Minims look like this: Notice that minims look like crotchets, but their heads are white, not black.

Here is a minim B and a minim A, in the bass clef: Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to the crotchets, quavers and minims together: Your browser does not support the audio element. Semibreves Semibreves are twice as long as minims, or four times as long as crotchets. Semibreves look like this: Here is a semibreve D in the bass clef: Your browser does not support the audio element. Listent to the crotchets, minims, quavers and semibreves together: Your browser does not support the audio element. Semiquavers Semiquavers are twice as fast as quavers, or 4 times faster than crotchets. Four semiquavers take up the same amount of time as 1 crotchet. So, a semiquaver is equal to a quarter of a crotchet. A semiquaver looks like this: or this We can also join two or more semiquavers together, like this: Semiquavers look like quavers, but they have two tails where quavers have one. Here are some semiquavers in action: Your browser does not support the audio element.

And here is the finished product - from semibreves to semiquavers! Your browser does not support the audio element. Why are Semibreves called Semibreves? There is another note, called a breve, which is worth two semibreves. Breves aren't used very much these days, so you don't need to know about them for your grade one music theory exam. A long time ago, breves and semibreves were quite short notes. Over time, they have become longer and longer, and so today we think of semibreves as very long notes, but it wasn't always the case! Crotchet - definition of crotchet by The Free Dictionary Crotchet - definition of crotchet by The Free Dictionary 2. Music See quarter note . 3. A small hook or hooklike structure. [Middle English crochet, hook, quarter note, from Old French, hook; see crochet.] crotchet (ˈkrɒtʃɪt) n 1. (Music, other) music a note having the time value of a quarter of a semibreve. Usual US and Canadian name: quarter note 2. a small hook or hooklike device 3. a perverse notion 4.

(Zoology) zoology a small notched or hooked process, as in an insect [C14: from Old French crochet, literally: little hook, from croche hook; see crocket] crotch•et 1. an odd fancy or whimsical notion. 2. a small hook. [1350–1400; Middle English crochet hook, staff with hook at end < Middle French] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: curve , curved shape - the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes uncus - (biology) any hook-shaped process or part 2. musical note , note , tone - a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound; "the singer held the note too long" 3. strangeness , unfamiliarity - unusualness as a consequence of not being well known 4.

crotchet - a small tool or hooklike implement hook - a curved or bent implement for suspending or pulling something Translations [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] N (Brit) (Mus) → negra f crotchet [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] n (MUSIC) → noire f crotchet (Brit Mus) → Viertelnote f; crotchet rest → Viertelpause f (inf: = cross person) → Miesepeter m (inf) crotchet [ˈkrɒtʃɪt] n (Brit) (Mus) → semiminima crotchet (ˈkrotʃit) noun in music, a note equal to half a minim. kwartnoot عَلامَة موسيقيّـة نِصْف سَوداء муз.

четвъртина нота semínima čtvrťová nota die Viertelnote fjerdedelsnode τέταρτο negra veerandnoot یک چهارم نت neljäsosanuotti noire רֶבַע תָּו संगीत में पाद स्वर četvrtinka negyed hangjegy setengah nada fjórðungsnóta semiminima 四分音符 4분 음표 ketvirtinė gaida ceturtdaļnots krocet kwartnoot firedelsnote , kvartnote ćwierćnuta یو ډول اشاره یا نښه ، چنګ semínima четвертная нота štvrťová nota četrtinka četvrt note fjärdedelsnot โน้ตเพลงมีค่า ¼ ของโน้ต dörtlük (音樂) 四分音符 чверть, четвертна нота ربع سُ

ر كى علامت nốt đen （音乐中）四分音符 Want to thank TFD for its existence?

Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: punctuation References in classic literature ? Some fatalities come in certain shapes, and some in others -- but this of which I speak has come in the shape of a crotchet. View in context She will not remain orbed in a thought, but rushes into persons; and when each person, inflamed to a fury of personality, would conquer all things to his poor crotchet, she raises up against him another person, and by many persons incarnates again a sort of whole. View in context I mean, sir, the same ancient Catholic Church to which you and I, and Captain Peleg there, and Queequeg here, and all of us, and every mother's son and soul of us belong; the great and everlasting First Congregation of this whole worshipping world; we all belong to that; only some of us cherish some queer crotchets noways touching the grand belief; in that we all join hands.

View in context Deane were less stern in their views, but they both of them thought Tulliver had done enough harm by his hot-tempered crotchets and ought to put them out of the question when a livelihood was offered him; Wakem showed a right feeling about the matter,-- MASTERMINDS Many were elderly Jewish refugees, happy to earn money doing crotchet for her.

'I hadn't eaten for three weeks by the time we were liberated, but I remember the moment I saw my beloved hero through a filthy window...' YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS WEE THINKER ACROSS: 7 At a loss 9 Outdo 10 Stair 11 Orleans 12 Die 13 Crotchet 16 Chop-chop 17 Ass 19 Saracen 21 Litre 22 Edict 23 Strange DOWN: 1Wayside 2 Nazareth 3 Boor 4 Foolscap 5 Etna 6 Poise 8 Show of hands 13 Capacity 14 Elastane 15 Ushered 18 Ashen 20 Ruin 21 Lyre QUICKIE ACROSS: 1 Shipbuilder 8 Ate 9 Lap 11 Peasant 12 Pasty 13 Amp 14 Eel 15 Trouble 17 Tow 19 Vein 21 Area 23 Obey 25 Acre 27 Ewe 29 Faculty 31 Opt 34 Cud 36 Moral 37 Release 38

 Ali 39 Fed 40 Empty nester DOWN: 1 Stem 2 Heap 3 Prairie 4 Untrue 5 Lapel 6 Else 7 Rate 8 Apart 10 Pylon 16 Eve 18War 20 Eye 22 Ref 24 Bottles 25 Aroma 26 Fun run 28 Ended 30 Allot 32 Pole 33 Trim 34 Cafe 35 User PS200 Xword After being tormented through the scales by Crotchet, the singing master, the pregnant Page is released to the tender mercies of Cinquepace.

Learning to Read Music Notation - Shane McDonald.ie Learning to Read Music Notation Learning to Read Music – How to read music notation This section contains information on how to read and interpret music notation, which may be useful to beginners. This is information which may help if you are learning the piano or keyboard or indeed any other musical instrument. It is mainly most useful for musical reference purposes. The content of this musical reference section includes : The Musical Staff In musical notation, the musical staff or stave is a set of five horizontal lines on which musical note symbols are placed to indicate pitch and time. The staff is read left to right and the higher a position on the staff, the higher the pitch of the note to be played. If a note appears above or below the 5 lines, ledger lines are used to indicate the exact note. The musical staff on its own does not help you to represent any specific notes, that is without a musical clef. The two main clefs are Treble clef and Bass clef – if these are combined it is called a grand staff. When reading music you will have a Clef Type, a Key Signature and a Time Signature.

The two main types of musical clefs are shown below and the notes for each clef are shown on it – Middle C has been underlined with a red mark. Musical Scales In musical terms, a scale is an ascending or descending series of notes or pitches. Each note in a musical scale is referred to as a scale degree. Though there are many different types of musical scales from chromatic scales, modal scales and whole note scales to minor, pentatonic and Arabic scales. The usual scale which people learning an instrument for the first time, will depend on the instrument they are learning and the key of the instrument. For demonstration purposes the scale of C is outlined below. The Scale of C in the treble clef The Scale of C in the bass clef Playing Musical Scales on Piano Playing a scale on piano, requires a particular fingering technique. The Treble Clef scale is played with the right hand and the Bass Clef with the left hand. Playing Scale of C (Treble Clef) with the right hand Starting with the thumb, play the first 3 notes, then hook the thumb under your 3rd finger and continue playing the F to C with your Thumb and remaining 4 fingers.

– Therefore the scale is played as 1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5 with 1 being your thumb and 5 being your little finger. Playing Scale of C (Bass Clef) with the left hand Starting with the little finger on the left hand, play the first 5 notes, then pass the third finger over your thumb and continue playing the A to C with your 3rd finger, 2nd and finally your thumb. – Therefore the scale is played as 1,2,3,4,5,3,4,5 with 1 being your little finger and 5 being your little thumb. Simply the opposite layout of the right hand. How to Read Music Rhythms - UnderstandMusicTheory.com Reading Rhythms - Part 5 The Semibreve (Whole Note) So far, we have learned about quavers (eighth notes), crotchets (quarter notes) and minims (half notes). So, it is reasonable to ask, "An eighth, or a quarter, or a half of what?".

Unsurprisingly, a note that lasts as long as eight quavers or four crotchets or two minims is called (in American English) a whole note. In British English, it has the confusing name "semibreve" - the "semi" part refers to it being half of a note called a breve, lasting eight crotchet beats, that is no longer used. Equally confusing is the fact that "breve" comes from the Latin word for "brief", which seems a strange name to give to such a long note, however these names were invented in medieval times when even longer notes (the "longa" and "maxima") were also used. Confusing or not, we (in Britain at least) are stuck with the name semibreve for a note lasting as long as four crotchets, and this is the longest note that is currently in general use - we will see later how notes can be tied to make a note longer than a semibreve.

The notation for a semibreve/whole note is a hollow head like that of a minim, with no stem: A semibreve rest is a black rectangle similar to that used for a minim rest, but hanging down from the second line of the staff, rather than sitting on top of the third line. The semibreve rest is generally used to indicate a whole bar's rest for any time signature of less than 4 crotchet beats (e.g. 2/4, 3/4 or 6/8), not just 4/4 where it would fit the bar length exactly. Counting the semibreve is very simple: "ONE, (two), (three), (four)" - so we will skip the obvious examples and move on to the more complicated subject of notes shorter than a quaver. The Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note) A note that lasts half as long as a quaver is called, quite logically, a semiquaver (or sixteenth note in American English). To distinguish it from a quaver, a single semiquaver has a double flag, which is changed to a double beam for groups of semiquavers.

The semiquaver rest resembles a quaver rest with the curved part doubled, as shown here: To count a rhythm that uses semiquavers, we need four syllables for each crotchet beat. We already have the number of the beat on the beat itself, and use "and" for the second quaver of the beat, so to make this into four syllables, we say "ee" on the second semiquaver, and "a" on the fourth. So, a 4/4 bar of semiquavers would be counted like this: We can combine semiquavers with quavers to make more complex rhythms - listen carefully to the three examples and try to hear the difference the position of the quaver makes. Notice how the beams are still joined together in groups of one crotchet beat: "ONE-ee-and, two-ee-and, three-ee-and, four-ee-and" "ONE-(ee)-and-a, two-(ee)-and-a three-(ee)-and-a four-(ee)-and-a" Even shorter notes ... Occasionally, composers want to squeeze in even more than four notes per beat.

Again, we can make a shorter note by dividing a semiquaver (sixteenth note) in half to give us a demisemiquaver (thirty-second note). Again, we notate this by adding another flag or beam to a semiquaver note, and another curl to the semiquaver rest. There is no generally agreed upon set of syllables to count these, other than just imagining semiquavers but playing or counting at double speed. This is what they sound like: ... and the shortest of all Believe it or not, there are even shorter notes than this! Divide a demisemiquaver in half and you get two hemidemisemiquavers or sixty-fourth notes. However, these are very rarely used, so don't worry about spending time practising counting them. Just for the sake of completeness, this is what they sound like: Here's a table to remind you about all the notes we've looked at: Name (British)

Question: In music, what is the name of a whole note which has the time value of two minims or four crotchets?
Answer: Semibreve