Note values, rhythm and first intervals

How long notes last, how to tap a rhythm, and how to measure the distance between two notes.

Note values

Notes differ not only in pitch but also in length. Length is counted in beats:

whole note: 4 beats
half note: 2 beats
quarter note: 1 beat
eighth note: half a beat, so two of them fill one beat

Each value is half as long as the one before it.

One whole note, two halves, four quarters and eight eighths: every measure lasts four beats.

The two numbers after the clef are the time signature. 4/4 means that each measure holds four beats and that a quarter note gets one beat. Vertical bar lines separate the measures.

Practice: Name the value

Tapping a rhythm

To perform a rhythm, keep a steady beat and tap once for every note.

In the next exercise you first hear four clicks that set the tempo. Then tap the written rhythm with the Space key or the button on screen. A quarter note is one tap on a beat. Two eighth notes are two even taps within one beat. A half note is one tap that lasts two beats.

Wireless headphones delay the sound. If your taps are marked late although you feel on time, run the latency calibration in Settings.

Practice: Tap the rhythm

Practice: Rhythmic dictation

Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes. To name it, count the staff positions from the lower note to the upper one, including both: from C up to D is a second, from C to E a third, from C to G a fifth.

Intervals with the same number can differ in size. A major third spans 4 semitones, a minor third only 3. To get the exact size you sometimes need a sharp (♯ raises a note by a semitone) or a flat (♭ lowers it): a major third above D4 is F♯4.

A major third: one note after the other, then both together

A perfect fifth

Practice: Build the interval

Practice: Recognise the interval

A look ahead: chords and scales

Three notes stacked in thirds form a triad. A major triad has a major third at the bottom and sounds bright. A minor triad has a minor third at the bottom and sounds darker.

A scale is a ladder of notes within one octave. The major scale and the natural minor scale differ in the same way: listen for the bright or the dark colour.