Note Values
The following table sets out the most common notes used in music and their respective time values (i.e., length of time held). For each note value there is an equivalent rest, which indicates a period of silence.
If a dot is placed after a note it increases the value of that note by half, e.g.:
A tie is a curved line joining two or more notes of the same pitch, where the second note(s) is not played but its time value is added to that of the first note. Here are two examples:
In both of these examples only the first note is played.
Time Signatures
At the beginning of each piece of music, after the treble clef, is the time signature.
The time signature indicates the number of beats per bar (the top number) and the type of note receiving one beat (the bottom number). For example:
Thus in * time there must be the equivalent of 4 quarter note beats per bar, e.g.:
* is the most common time signature and is sometimes represented by this symbol called common time.
The other time signature used in this book is Three Four Time written ^.
^ indicates 3 quarter note beats per bar, e.g.:
