NOTE VALUES
WHOLE NOTE
HALF NOTE
QUARTER NOTE
EIGHTH NOTE
HOST- Matthew Scott Phillips
GENRE- Music Theory
DURATION- 15:17
BUMPER MUSIC "Drums Only Forever", "Forever Only Drums" (Miguel Martinez)
ANNOUNCER- Mike Cunliffe
Part 2 of 2, in our theory fundamentals series, this episode will cover the elements of rhythm. Learn about note values and their durations. Explore time signatures and how to distinguish simple and compound meter.
In the coming example, "DOTTED QUARTER NOTES", there are two symbols that aren't notes. These are called RESTS. A REST is the absence of a note, or simply a silence that spans the time that a note would normally occupy.
A note with a "dot" attached to it should be held for that note value + 1/2 of that note value. See how the note duration of a DOTTED HALF NOTE lasts for 3 beats, ending on the downbeat of beat 4. See how the DOTTED QUARTER NOTE lasts for 1 and 1/2 beats (1 quarter note + 1 eighth note).
The TOP NUMBER of a time signature represents how many beats are in each measure.
The BOTTOM NUMBER represents the note duration, or the type of note, that occupies each beat (4=quarter note, 8=eighth note, etc.). Therefore, the meter in the example below would be counted as four quarter notes per measure (4/4).
The following examples will feature DRUM NOTATION, which is UNPITCHED. This is indicated by the two bars to the left of the meter signature (2/4). It's very similar to regular notation, in terms of note values, but the pitch positions actually represent different pieces of the drum kit rather than notes. We see a note that represents the kick drum, the snare and the high hat.
The beats (or pulses) in SIMPLE METER can be divided into 2's. In 3/4 time, the top number "3" can be divided into 3 but it is still considered simple because the quarter note pulses can be divided into 2's. It would be counted as "one and two and three and...".
The example below shows one measure of eighth notes. The numbers and plus symbols (1+2+3+4+) should be counted as "one and two and three and four and". The "+" stands for "and", the upbeat.
The example below shows one measure of sixteenth notes. The "e" is pronounced "ee" and the "a" is pronounced "uh". So counting this out loud would sound like, "one ee and uh two ee and uh...etc"
The beats (or pulses) in COMPOUND METER can be divided into 3's. For example, below we have two measures of 6/8.
Each measure is divided into 2 pulses, divided by 3. The count would sound like, "ONE two three FOUR five six"
(accenting beats 1 and 4).
The beats (or pulses) in UNEQUAL METER can be divided into 2's and 3's or any mismatched combination. For example, below we have two measures of 5/8. In the example below, we have a measure of 5/8 with the accents on beats 1 and 4. Beneath that, we see a measure of 5/8 with the accents on beats 1 and 3.
A triplet is when notes are grouped in 3's. Here, we have 3 notes occupying the space between beats 3 and 4.
Normally this space would be equally filled with one quarter note or two eighth notes.
The eighth note triplet divides the same span of time by three slighty shorter eighth notes.
A duplet is when notes are grouped in 2's. Here, we have 2 eighth notes occupying the space between beats 4 and 6.
Normally this space would be equally filled with three eighth notes.
The eighth note duplet divides the same span of time by two slightly longer notes.
