Overview
This lecture introduces the basics of musical notes, focusing on note values (durations) and explains how they function within the 4/4 time signature.
Note Values and Durations
- A note represents both the pitch and duration of a musical sound.
- There are five main note values: whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes.
- A whole note is an open circle and equals four beats.
- A half note is an open circle with a stem; two half notes equal one whole note.
- A quarter note is a filled circle with a stem; two quarter notes equal one half note, four equal one whole note.
- An eighth note is a quarter note with one flag; two eighth notes equal one quarter note, four equal one half note, eight equal one whole note.
- A sixteenth note is an eighth note with two flags; two equal one eighth note, four equal one quarter note, sixteen equal one whole note.
- Note flags can be connected, and stems can point up or down without affecting duration.
Time Signature and Measures
- The time signature appears at the start of music and consists of two numbers; e.g., 4/4.
- The top number in a time signature shows how many beats are in each measure (or bar).
- The bottom number shows what note value equals one beat.
- In 4/4 time, four quarter notes complete one measure.
- The terms "measure" and "bar" are interchangeable.
- In 4/4, a whole note fills an entire bar, and a half note fills half a bar (two beats).
Musical Application Example
- In the example from "New World Symphony," three measures of half notes are followed by one measure of a whole note.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Note — symbol indicating musical pitch and duration.
- Whole Note — a note lasting four beats.
- Half Note — a note lasting two beats.
- Quarter Note — a note lasting one beat.
- Eighth Note — a note lasting half a beat.
- Sixteenth Note — a note lasting a quarter of a beat.
- Time Signature — notation indicating meter; top number = beats per bar, bottom number = note value of each beat.
- Measure/Bar — a segment of time defined by a set number of beats.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice identifying and drawing the five note values.
- Review how different note values add up within 4/4 time signature bars.