Glossary
Beaming and Grouping
The practice of connecting multiple notes (like eighths or sixteenths) with a beam to visually represent rhythmic units and beats.
Example:
In 4/4 time, two eighth notes are typically connected by beaming and grouping to clearly show they form one beat.
Beat
The basic, regular pulse of music, which you can often feel and tap your foot to.
Example:
When listening to a march, you can easily feel the steady beat that guides the tempo.
Dot placement
The rule for where a dot is written relative to a note, either in the space or above the line.
Example:
For a note on a line, the dot placement is above the line; for a note in a space, the dot is in the space.
Dots
A symbol placed after a note or rest that increases its duration by half of its original value.
Example:
A dot after a quarter note makes it last for one and a half beats, equal to a quarter note plus an eighth note.
Eighth notes
Note values that are half the duration of a quarter note, with two *eighth notes* typically equaling one beat.
Example:
A fast passage might use many eighth notes to create a sense of rapid movement.
Eighth rests
Symbols indicating a silence that lasts for half the duration of one beat.
Example:
A quick, detached melody might feature an eighth rest between short notes.
Half notes
Note values that are twice the duration of a quarter note, typically lasting for two beats.
Example:
A slow, sustained melody might feature several half notes to emphasize its lyrical quality.
Half rests
Symbols indicating a silence that lasts for the duration of two beats.
Example:
In a call-and-response piece, a half rest might follow a short musical phrase, allowing for a response.
Quarter note
A note value that typically receives one beat in common time signatures like 4/4.
Example:
In a simple melody, a series of quarter notes creates a steady, walking pace.
Quarter rest
A symbol indicating a silence that lasts for the duration of one beat.
Example:
After a loud chord, a quarter rest can create a brief moment of suspense before the next phrase.
Rhythm
The organization of musical sounds and silences in time, defining how long notes and rests last.
Example:
The driving rhythm of a rock song often features a strong, repetitive drum pattern.
Sixteenth notes
Note values that are half the duration of an eighth note, with four *sixteenth notes* typically equaling one beat.
Example:
Virtuosic piano pieces often feature rapid runs of sixteenth notes.
Sixteenth rests
Symbols indicating a silence that lasts for a quarter the duration of one beat.
Example:
A very precise, staccato rhythm might include tiny sixteenth rests for separation.
Stem direction
The convention for whether a note's stem points up or down, typically determined by its position on the staff.
Example:
Notes below the middle line of the staff usually have their stems pointing up, while those on or above point down.
Ties
A curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, indicating that the first note's duration is extended by the value of the second note.
Example:
To sustain a note across a bar line, composers often use a tie to connect it to the same note in the next measure.
Time signature
A musical notation indicating how many beats are in each measure and which note value receives one beat.
Example:
A 4/4 time signature means there are four quarter-note beats in every measure.
Triplets
A rhythmic grouping that divides a beat (or a portion of a beat) into three equal parts, indicated by a bracket and a '3'.
Example:
Jazz music frequently uses triplets to create a swung or groovy feel.
Whole notes
Note values that are four times the duration of a quarter note, typically lasting for four beats.
Example:
The opening of a hymn might begin with a long, sustained whole note.
Whole rests
Symbols indicating a silence that lasts for the duration of four beats, or an entire measure in 4/4 time.
Example:
An orchestra might have a whole rest for an entire measure before re-entering with a powerful chord.