Note Duration

Note duration is defined as the length of time to hold the note. There are different note types to indicate the different note durations.

Whole Note (Semibreve)

A whole note (American English) or semibreve (British English) is a note type that has the longest note duration.

 Half Note (Minim)

A half note (American English) of minim (British English) has half the duration of a whole note.

Two half notes equal the duration of a whole note.

Quarter Note (Crotchet)

A quarter note (American English) or crotchet (British English) has half the duration of a half note.

It is one quarter of the duration of a whole note. Two quarter notes have the same amount of time as one half note.

Four quarter notes have the same amount of time as one whole note.

Eighth Note (Quaver)

An eighth note (American English) or quaver (British English) is half of a quarter note. It has one flag.

Two eighth notes equal the duration of a quarter note. An eighth note is played for one eighth the duration of a whole note.

Two eighth notes join together is called beamed eighth or quaver notes:

Sixteenth Note (Semiquavers)

A sixteenth note (American English) or semiquavers (British English) has two flags.

Two sixteenth notes have the same amount of time as one eighth note. Four sixteenth notes equal the duration of a quarter note.

Two sixteenth notes join together will look like this. Beamed sixteenth or semiquavers notes have two beams:

 

Below is a summary of the different note types and their relationships to each other.