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Reading Music - Note Lengths

Musical notes of differing lengths and how they are written down - compliments of the easy duet music people.

The longest note length in common use today is called a semibreve or whole note and looks like this: 

The note half the length of a semibreve or whole note is called a minim or half note and looks like this:
When reading music notation any note with a stem can be rotated so that its stem goes downwards from the left-hand side of the note head. The note-lengths are the same whether the notation shows the stems going up or down.

The note a quarter the length of a semibreve or whole note is called a crotchet or quarter note
and looks like this:

The note an eighth the length of a semibreve or whole note is called a quaver or eighth note
and looks like this: In musical notation, when there is a group of 2 or more quavers, sometimes their tails become a linking straight line between the ends of their stems.

Remember when you are reading music that:

2 x     =  

2 x     =   4 x    =  

2 x  =   4 x  =   8 x    =  

If you go to our easy music pieces page you will find lots of simple but fun, original tunes to learn if you are beginning to play a musical instrument. This site also has these easy tunes arranged as duets for piano with many different solo instruments.

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