Rhythm in music

Quarter Note = 1 count

A black is all black with a stem that rises or falls. I call it our “step” note because the note just goes on and on. With 4/4, you would have a measure of 4 quarter notes because a quarter note has 1 count. Remember that music and math go together.

Half note = 2 accounts

A middle note is all white with a stem. Playing this type of note would pause, like hitting a yellow traffic light. You would play a middle note, counting 1, 2 and. With 4/4, you would have 2 half notes in a measure to play because 2 + 2 = 4. Remember that music and math go together!

If you are not sure what a measure is in written music, always remember that the notes placed between the bar lines are one measure. Bar lines divide music into bars. When looking at a piece of music, go to the end of a song and there you will find a double bar line.

Repeat points (repeat sign)

The colon at the end of the piece is a sign of repetition, that is, playing the song from the beginning. Sometimes my students ask, “Do I have to?” The answer is “yes” because the composer intended that section of music to be played again. Another way of looking at it is that you will have no more pages to turn. Just replay the first page or maybe only a few lines are repeated. The repeating sign is a very valuable sign.

Full note = 4 counts

A full note is also a blank note, but it does not have a stem. I call it our donut note. Some of my students call it a “hamburger” note! When you see a whole note, you need to hold down the note and count, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. It’s like coming to a red light and coming to a complete stop.

Half dotted note = 3 beads

A period after a note adds half the value of the note. So now you have 2 + 1 = 3 beats. You keep the note down and counts, 1 and 2 and 3 and.

Now, the good thing is that each type of musical note has a corresponding rest. A rest sign means “no play” like a rest area. Sometimes it means having your hand ready in position and moving up, but still not hitting a note, just resting! Examples of some silences are:

Rest room

It looks like a “Z” and a break room has 1 account.

Half rest

It looks like a black top hat. A half break has 2 times of silence. A half break is above the third line.

Full rest

It looks like a black top hat upside down. The rest hang below the fourth line. Get 4 counts or beats of silence.

Each measure in 4/4 has notes and rests that add up to 4 counts.

Time signature

The time signature is the two numbers written at the beginning of a piece. The top number indicates how many beats are in each measurement. The bottom number indicates what kind of note a beat receives.

2 means two beats in each measure

4 means that black receives a time or count.

3 means three beats in each measure.

4 means that black has a time.

4 means four beats in each measure

4 means that black has a time.

Practice Instructions

1. Clap your hands and count the rhythm out loud.

2. Touch and say the name of the notes out loud.

3. Play and count the rhythm out loud.