Lecture Notes: Musical Notes, Values, and Rests

Overview

• Explanation of the names of notes and their values
• Introduction to rest symbols
• Discussion of dotted notes
• Use of both British and American note naming systems

Note Types and Values

Semibreve (Whole Note)

• Symbol: Small letter "o"
• Value: 4 beats

Minim (Half Note)

• Symbol: Similar to a semibreve but with a stem
• Value: 2 beats
  • Two minims equal one semibreve
• Stem Placement: Important
  • Right side if note head is at the bottom
  • Left side if note head is at the top

Crotchet (Quarter Note)

• Symbol: Black note head with a stem
• Value: 1 beat
  • Four crotchets equal one semibreve

Quaver (Eighth Note)

• Symbol: Like crotchet plus a tail
• Value: Half beat
  • Two quavers equal one crotchet
  • Eight quavers equal one semibreve
• Beaming: Tails can be joined (beamed) together for clarity

Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note)

• Symbol: Like quaver with an additional tail
• Value: Quarter beat
  • Four semiquavers equal one quaver
  • Sixteen semiquavers equal one semibreve

Dotted Notes

Dotted Minim

• Symbol: Minim with a dot
• Value: 3 beats (Minim value + half of its value)
• Placement: Dot must be to the right side of the note

Dotted Crotchet

• Value: 1.5 beats (Crotchet value + half of its value)

Dotted Quaver

• Value: 0.75 beats (Quaver value + half of its value)

Importance of Dots

• Adds half the value of the note or rest to its total value

Rests

Crotchet Rest

• Symbol: Complex shaped symbol, resembles a Z with a loop
• Value: 1 beat

Quaver Rest

• Symbol: Small seven with a blob
• Value: Half beat

Semiquaver Rest

• Symbol: Similar to quaver rest with two 'arms'
• Value: Quarter beat

Minim Rest

• Symbol: Black rectangle on the middle line of the stave
• Value: 2 beats

Semibreve Rest

• Symbol: Black rectangle hanging from the fourth line
• Value: 4 beats; also represents a whole bar rest in most time signatures

Dotted Minim Rest

• Symbol: Minim rest with a dot
• Value: 3 beats
• Dot Functionality: Same as for notes

Additional Notes

• Building a pyramid can help visualize note values
• Understanding of rest and note values is crucial for music notation
• Dots can be added to both notes and rests to alter their durations

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of musical notes, their values, symbols, and the importance of correct notation in music.