Notes and Note Values Middle School Music

Measures

• As you know, a staff is the lines on which notes are placed. A staff is made up of 5 lines and 4 spaces. • When a staff is divided up into sections, each

section is called a measure. • In regular time, each measure contains 4 beats.

The Whole Note

• Today we will be looking at three different notes.

• This is the whole note. It is worth 4 beats. That means when it is placed in a measure, it takes up all the beats.

The Half Note

• This is a half note. Like its name suggests, it is worth half of the value of a whole note.

• A half note is worth 2 beats.

The Quarter Note

• This is a quarter note. Can you guess how many beats a quarter note is worth?

• A quarter note is worth 1 beat.

Practice

• Can you make up 4 beats using these notes? Try to find as many ways as possible to make up 4 beats using these three notes.

• Can you make up six beats using these three notes?

• Can you make up eight beats using these three notes?

The Eighth Note

• The next note we will be learning about is the eighth note. An eighth note is worth half of the value of a quarter note – ½ of a beat.

• The eighth note always has a flag or a “tail”.

Joined Notes

• It is common to see 2 eighth notes joined together with a beam to make 1 beat. Remember – no matter how many eighth notes are joined together, each one is still worth ½ of a beat.