Dotted Eighth Notes
Another common sixteenth note timing is when a sixteenth note is played after a dotted eighth note, i.e.
The dot placed after the eighth note lengthens the note by half its value. The dotted eighth note is equivalent in duration to three sixteenth notes, i.e.
This example demonstrates the rhythm shown above. Play it slowly with a metronome and tap your foot on each beat.
Here is a traditional wedding song which makes frequent use of this rhythm.
The Sixteenth Rest
This is a sixteenth rest.
It indicates a quarter of a beat of silence.
This folk song contains several sixteenth rests. Listen to the CD if you are unsure of the timing.
Sometimes you will find the figure reversed, i.e. a sixteenth note followed by a dotted eighth note, as shown below. This is the reverse of the figure you learnt on page 79.
Listen to the CD to hear the effect produced by this rhythm. Once again, count silently as you play. An easy way to learn this figure is to think of it as two sixteenth notes with the second one sustained up to the following beat.
Here is a song which uses the above rhythm as well as the dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth note. Listen to the CD if you are unsure of the timing and then practice it slowly until you can play it from memory.
The Two Four Time Signature
The % time signature tells you that there are only two quarter note beats in one bar. The only difference between % and * is that in % time there are twice as many bar lines.
