Reading notes and rhythm
A note tells you two things: which pitch to sing or play, and how long to hold it. Read its position for pitch and its shape for duration.
Hollow or filled: look at the stem too
A “shaded note” is usually called a filled notehead. The fill alone does not tell you its length. A filled head with a stem is a quarter note; a flag or beam makes it shorter.
| Shape | Name | Hold for | Count aloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note / semibreve | 4 beats | 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | |
| Half note / minim | 2 beats | 1 – 2 | |
| Quarter note / crotchet | 1 beat | 1 | |
| Eighth note / quaver | ½ beat | 1 & (two notes per beat) |
Read the staff one step at a time
Moving to the next line or space moves to the next letter: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, then A again. In treble clef the lines from bottom to top are E–G–B–D–F; the spaces are F–A–C–E. In bass clef the lines are G–B–D–F–A; the spaces are A–C–E–G.
A sharp raises a note by a semitone; a flat lowers it. A natural cancels a sharp or flat. Check the key signature first, then any accidental beside the note. PsalmForge’s note letters include an octave number: C4 is middle C.
Dots, ties, rests and holds
- A dot adds half the original length: a dotted half note lasts three quarter-note beats.
- A tie joins the same pitch: hold across both values without playing again. A slur over different pitches means a connected phrase, not one sustained note.
- A rest has duration too. Count through silence so you return together.
- A fermata asks for a hold beyond the written value. Watch the leader for the release; it is not a fixed number of extra beats.
Try it before you play
Count four steady beats. Clap one half note, then two quarter notes: “1–2, 3, 4.” Next clap eight eighth notes: “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.” Keep the pulse unchanged. On a song page, turn on note letters, choose Soprano and follow a short phrase slowly.
Further reading: Durational symbols, Time signatures, Dots and ties — Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom.