The opposite may also happen, we can shorten the amount of time a note should be held, relative to the quarter note. Faster notes are signified with either flags, like the ones discussed above, or with beams between the notes. Each flag halves the value of a note, so a single flag signifies 1/2 of a quarter note (8th note), a double flag halves that to 1/4 of a quarter note (16th note), et cetera. Beams do the same, while allowing us to read the music more clearly and keep the notation less cluttered. As you can see, there's no difference in how you count the eighth and 16th notes above. Follow along with the sheet music for "Alouette" to see how beams organize notes!
But what happens when there isn't a note taking up each beat? It's easy, we take a rest! A rest, just like a note, shows us how long it should be held based on its shape. See how whole and quarter rests are used in the song "Here We Go Looby-Loo."
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Learning Piano Notes and Keys
Non-FictionA quick and easy guide to how to play beautiful music on piano! Whether you're learning to impress a special someone, or just to play the notes from that song you love, here's a simple way to learn! Good luck!~
