What is "note value"

n. (context music English) A musical notation that indicates the relative duration of a note, using the color or shape of the note head, the presence or absence of a stem, and the presence of flags.

n. (music) the relative duration of a musical note [syn: value, time value]

In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the color or shape of the note head, the presence or absence of a stem, and the presence or absence of flags/ beams/hooks/tails.

A rest indicates a silence of an equivalent duration.

Note

Rest

American name

British name

Value

With Dotted value

With Double Dotted Value

With Triple Dotted Value

|

Maxima rest.svg

large, duplex longa, or maxima
(occasionally octuple note, octuple whole note, or octuple entire musical note)

8

8 + 4

8 + 4 + 2

8 + 4 + 2 + 1

longa.gif

longa rest.svg

long or longa
(occasionally quadruple note or quadruple whole note)

4

4 + 2

4 + 2 + 1

4 + 2 + 1 + 1/2

breve.gif

breve rest.svg

double whole note, double note

breve

2

2 + 1

2 + 1 + 1/2

2 + 1 + 1/2 + 1/4

whole note.gif

whole rest.svg

whole note

semibreve

1

1 + 1/2

1 + 1/2 + 1/4

1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8

half note.gif

half rest.svg

half note

minim

1/2

1/2 + 1/4

1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8

1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16

quarter note.gif

or

| quarter note

crotchet

1/4

1/4 + 1/8

1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16

1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32

eighth note.gif

eighth rest.svg

eighth note

quaver

1/8

1/8 + 1/16

1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32

1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64

sixteenth note.gif

16th rest.svg

sixteenth note

semiquaver

1/16

1/16 + 1/32

1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64

1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64 + 1/128

32nd note.svg

32nd rest.svg

thirty-second note

demisemiquaver

1/32

1/32 + 1/64

1/32 + 1/64 + 1/128

1/32 + 1/64 + 1/128 + 1/256

64th note.svg

64th rest.svg

sixty-fourth note

hemidemisemiquaver

1/64

1/64 + 1/128

1/64 + 1/128 + 1/256

1/64 + 1/128 + 1/256 + 1/512

128th note.gif

128th rest.svg

hundred twenty-eighth note

semihemidemisemiquaver (rare)

1/128

1/128 + 1/256

1/128 + 1/256 + 1/512

1/128 + 1/256 + 1/512 + 1/1024

Semigarrapatea.svg

Silencio de semigarrapatea.svg

two hundred fifty-sixth note

demisemihemidemisemiquaver (rare)

1/256

1/256 + 1/512

1/256 + 1/512 + 1/1024

1/256 + 1/512 + 1/1024 + 1/2048