Basic Music Theory

More note Duration


This is an Eighth note
Eighth notes are a half of a quater note so they are played twice as fast, so if you remember every number in the "1 and 2 and 3...." counting was a quarter note, now you will play on the ands also. This is how you count eighth notes.


This is a sixteenth note
A sixteenth note is half of a eighth note so it is twice as fast, and it counts like this "1 ee and ah 2 ee and ah 3 ee and ah...." every sylable said is a sixteenth note. Pretty simple and fun to say.


This is a triplet

A triplet is a third of a quarter note, so faster than a eighth note and slower than a sixteenth note. There is three triplets over a quarter note, and they are counted like this "1 - trip - let - 2 - trip - let - 3 - trip - let - 4..." So each syllable is a triplet note and each number is a quarter note. Try practicing a triplet beat with your hands. Pat your left hand on a table or your lap as one quarter note and try patting your right hand three times over the quarter note. You should pat your right hand three times before the next pat of your left hand.