Level 1 (like Grade 1) · Unit 4 of 24
Note and rest values
How long each note lasts – semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver – and the rests that match them.
By the end you will be able to:
- name the main note values and how many crotchet beats each lasts
- match each note to its rest
- write a rhythm from its note names
Learn
Notes that last longer or shorter
The shape of a note tells you how long to hold it. We count in crotchet beats:
- Semibreve: 4 beats – a hollow oval, no stem.
- Minim: 2 beats – hollow, with a stem.
- Crotchet: 1 beat – filled in, with a stem.
- Quaver: ½ beat – filled in, with a stem and a tail (two or more are joined by a beam).
- Semiquaver: ¼ beat – two tails or two beams.
| Note | Name | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Semibreve | 4 | |
| Minim | 2 | |
| Crotchet | 1 | |
| Quaver | ½ | |
| Semiquaver | ¼ |
Rests: counted silence
Every note value has a rest that lasts just as long. Silence is part of the music, so rests are counted exactly like notes. The semibreve rest hangs below line 4; the minim rest sits on line 3 (like a hat). The crotchet rest is a zig-zag, and the quaver rest looks like a little 7.
| Note | Name | Beats | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semibreve | 4 | semibreve rest | |
| Minim | 2 | minim rest | |
| Crotchet | 1 | crotchet rest | |
| Quaver | ½ | quaver rest | |
| Semiquaver | ¼ | semiquaver rest |
Stems and beams
Stems go up on the right of notes below the middle line, and down on the left of notes above it. Quavers in the same beat are joined with a beam so the beats are easy to see.
Your turn
Watch and listen, then practise with new questions every time – reading questions, and writing tasks you answer on the stave. Take the check when you are ready: 80% passes the unit.
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Level 1 is like Grade 1 music theory. These are Classfern’s own levels, not an exam board’s. Questions are made and marked by rules in your browser.