Charlotte's Note Names & Lengths Adventure 🐱🐼

🎵 Note Values 🌳 Note Tree 🤫 Rests ⏺️ Dotted Notes 🔗 Tied Notes 🎯 Practice Zone ⭐ Warm-up Quiz

🎵 Note Values — How Long?

So far you've learned the pitch of a note (how high or low it is). Now let's learn its duration — how long you hold it. Duration is measured in beats. There are 7 note values you need for Grade 5. In the exam you can use the UK name or the American name — both are correct!

Common note values

Semibreve4 beatsUS: whole note

Minim2 beatsUS: half note

Crotchet1 beatUS: quarter note

Quaver½ beatUS: eighth note

Semiquaver¼ beatUS: sixteenth note

Stem rule: stems point up for notes below the middle line, and down for notes above it. On the middle line, either way is fine!

Beaming: when 2+ quavers sit together they're joined with one beam. Semiquavers join with two beams — this makes them easier to read.

Less common note values

Demisemiquaver⅛ beatUS: thirty-second note · three tails

Breve8 beatsUS: double whole note · two side lines

🐱Mochi says: Each tail you add cuts the note in half! One tail = quaver, two tails = semiquaver, three tails = demisemiquaver.

🌳 The Note Tree

The note tree shows how the note values fit together. Each step down, every note splits in half. That's why 2 minims = 1 semibreve, and 4 crotchets = 1 semibreve!

semibreve · 4

minim · 2

🌳 1 semibreve = 2 minims = 4 crotchets = 8 quavers = 16 semiquavers

🐼Bao says: Start at the top and halve as you go down. Climbing back up? Double each time!

🤫 Rests — Silent Beats

Silence matters in music too! Every note value has a matching rest of the same length. Unlike notes, rests always sit in the same place on the stave.

Semibreve rest4 beatsHangs from the 4th line

Minim rest2 beatsSits on the 3rd line

Crotchet rest1 beatLike a squiggly 'z'

Quaver rest½ beatLooks like a '7', one hook

Semiquaver rest¼ beatTwo hooks

Heavy vs light: the semibreve rest is heavier (4 beats) so it hangs from the line. The minim rest is lighter (2 beats) so it sits on the line.

⏺️ Dotted Notes

Want a note that lasts 3 beats? Add a dot! A dot after a note adds half the note's value again.

✏️ Dotted note = original value + half of it again

Dotted minim3 beats2 + 1

Dotted crotchet1½ beats1 + ½

Where to draw it: the dot goes to the right of the note head, always in a space (the next space up if the note sits on a line).

Double dotted notes

A second dot adds half of the first dot again (or ¼ of the original).

✏️✏️ Double dotted crotchet = 1 + ½ + ¼ = 1¾ beats

🐱Mochi says: Double dots are rare, but ABRSM loves to test them — so remember: first dot = half, second dot = half of the half!

🔗 Tied Notes

A tie is a curved line joining two notes of the same pitch. It works like a + sign — play one note lasting both notes added together.

🔗 Tie = play as ONE note = first length + second length

Two tied minims4 beats2 + 2, held as one

Why we need ties: some durations can't be written any other way, and ties are the only way to join notes across a bar-line.

Ties vs dots: a tie only works between two notes of the same pitch. A dot changes a single note. Ties can't be used on rests — dots can!

🐼Bao says: An accidental (like a flat) carries across a tie over a bar-line — the second note keeps the same pitch!

🎯 Practice Zone

Lots more quizzes! Pick one and collect stars. ⭐

🎵🤫

Match Notes & Rests Name the note, name the rest, pick the picture — 18 questions.

➕🥁

Add Up the Beats Add notes, rests and dotted notes together — 17 questions.

⏺️✏️

Dotted & Fill-in Tick the beats and fill in the blanks — 23 questions.

⭐ Warm-up Quiz

Tap the right answer. Each correct answer earns a ⭐, and every 2 stars unlocks a 🏅 badge!

🏅 Your Badges

🎵

Note Newbie

🌳

Tree Climber

🤫

Rest Ranger

⏺️

Dot Master

🏆

Tie Champion

Note Names & Lengths Adventure!

Common note values

Less common note values

Double dotted notes