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.
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.
Remember when you are reading music that:
| Reading Music Basics notation & clefs |
|
|
2 x
=
2 x
=
4 x
=
2 x
=
4 x =
8 x =
