Dotted notes are notes with a small dot on the right side. When a dot is added on the right side of a note (or rest), its original duration is increased by half.
Dotted Half Note
Dotted half note
A dotted half note is equal to the sum of a half note plus a quarter note (a quarter note is half the duration of a half note).
A dotted half note is also equal to three quarter notes.
In a common time signature, a half note gets two beats and a quarter note gets one beat. A dotted half note is equal to three beats.
Dotted Quarter Note
Dotted Quarter Note
A dotted quarter note is equal to the sum of a quarter note plus an eighth note (an eighth note is half the duration of a quarter note).
A dotted quarter note is also equal to three eighth notes.
In a common time signature, a quarter note gets one beat. An eighth note is half of a quarter note and gets a half beat. A dotted quarter note is equal to one and a half beats.
Dotted Eighth Note
Dotted Eighth Note
A dotted eighth note is equal to the sum of an eighth note plus a sixteenth note (a sixteenth note is half the duration of an eighth note).
A dotted eighth note is also equal to three sixteenth notes.
In a common time signature, an eighth note gets a half beat and a sixteenth note gets a quarter of a beat. A dotted half note is equal to three quarters of a beat.
Piano Music Theory 