Note values and rests: a chart, with counting examples
A note value tells you how long a sound lasts, and a rest of the same value tells you how long to stay silent. In 4/4, where the quarter note gets one beat, a whole note or rest lasts four beats, a half lasts two, a quarter lasts one, an eighth lasts half a beat and a sixteenth lasts a quarter of a beat. Every rest is counted just like a note, with the fingers off the keys.
The chart: every note value and its rest
Each note value is half the length of the one before it. A whole note equals two half notes, a half note equals two quarter notes, and so on down to the sixteenth. Rests follow the same halving pattern, so once you know one column you know the other. The beat counts below assume 4/4, where the quarter note is one beat. In another time signature the proportions stay the same but the beat may be a different note, which the time signatures guide explains.
| Note | US name | UK name | Beats in 4/4 | Matching rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open head, no stem | whole note | semibreve | 4 | whole rest |
| Open head, stem | half note | minim | 2 | half rest |
| Filled head, stem | quarter note | crotchet | 1 | quarter rest |
| Filled head, stem, one flag | eighth note | quaver | 1/2 | eighth rest |
| Filled head, stem, two flags | sixteenth note | semiquaver | 1/4 | sixteenth rest |
| Filled head, stem, three flags | thirty-second note | demisemiquaver | 1/8 | thirty-second rest |
How to tell the rests apart
The two rectangle rests are the ones people swap most often. The whole rest hangs below the second line from the top, like something hanging from a hook. The half rest sits on top of the middle line, like a hat on a shelf. Both are filled rectangles, so look at where they are attached, not at their size.
- Whole rest: a rectangle hanging below the fourth line from the bottom. It lasts four beats in 4/4, and it is also used for a full bar of silence in any time signature, including 3/4 and 6/8.
- Half rest: a rectangle sitting on the middle line. Two beats in 4/4.
- Quarter rest: a zigzag squiggle, one beat in 4/4.
- Eighth rest: a slanted stroke with a small dot at the top. Half a beat in 4/4. Each extra flag halves the length again.
Dotted notes and dotted rests
A dot after a note or rest adds half of its value. The note keeps its own length and gains a second part that is half as long. A second dot adds half of the first dot, but you will see it rarely.
| Dotted value | Calculation | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| dotted half note | 2 + 1 | 3 |
| dotted quarter note | 1 + 1/2 | 1 1/2 |
| dotted eighth note | 1/2 + 1/4 | 3/4 |
| dotted whole note | 4 + 2 | 6 (in 6/4 or a longer bar) |
A dotted quarter followed by an eighth is a very common pair: 1 1/2 beats plus 1/2 beat fills exactly two beats. Count it as "one, two-and" with the eighth note landing on the "and" of the second beat.
Ties: adding values of the same pitch
A tie is a curved line joining two notes of the same pitch. Play the first note and hold it for the combined length of both. A half note tied to a quarter note lasts three beats, the same as a dotted half note. Ties are used when a note has to cross a bar line or when a length has no single symbol. A slur looks similar but joins different pitches and means to play them smoothly, so check the pitches before deciding which one you are looking at.
Counting examples
Say the counts out loud while tapping the rhythm, then play it. Eighth notes divide each beat into "and", sixteenth notes into "e" and "a".
| Bar contents | Count aloud | Check |
|---|---|---|
| quarter, quarter rest, half note | 1, (2), 3 hold 4 | 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 beats |
| four eighth notes, quarter, quarter | 1 and 2 and, 3, 4 | 2 + 1 + 1 = 4 beats |
| dotted quarter, eighth, half note | 1 (hold) 2 and, 3 hold 4 | 1 1/2 + 1/2 + 2 = 4 beats |
| quarter, eighth rest, eighth note, half rest | 1, (2) and, (3 4) | 1 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 2 = 4 beats |
| four sixteenths, two eighths, half note | 1 e and a, 2 and, 3 hold 4 | 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 beats |
| whole rest | 1 2 3 4, silent | 4 beats of silence |
Worked example in 3/4, where three quarter notes fill a bar. Half note, quarter rest: 2 + 1 = 3 beats, so the bar is full. Count "1 2 (3)": press on 1, hold through 2, then lift on 3 and let the third beat pass silently. The next bar begins on the following 1, and the rest keeps the pulse going so you arrive on time.
Common mistakes with rests
| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hurrying through a rest | Silence feels like a gap to fill | Count the rest aloud, one number per beat |
| Mixing up whole and half rests | Both are rectangles | Check the line: hanging below is whole, sitting on top is half |
| Holding a note into the rest | Fingers stay down out of habit | Lift on the beat the rest starts |
| Treating a whole rest as four beats in 3/4 | It always means a full bar | Read the whole rest as one bar, whatever the time signature |
| Playing the dot as extra silence | The dot adds duration to the note, not a gap | Add the half value to the note and hold it |
| Ignoring rests in the left hand | Eyes follow the melody | Read both staves, and count the rests in the hand that is silent |
Rests are part of the rhythm, not a pause in it. In piano music they often mark a breath between phrases, so a good rest sounds as deliberate as a good note.
A rhythm reading exercise
- Choose an exercise below your level and set the click to a slow tempo, around 60 beats per minute.
- Clap or tap the rhythm first on the closed lid of the piano, counting aloud, with no pitches.
- Play it on one note with the right hand, then with the left, keeping every rest silent.
- Add the real pitches, and keep counting.
- Record the tempo you reached without stopping and use it as the starting point next time.
The free sight reading exercise generator builds a new set of bars with the rhythm difficulty you pick, so you can read fresh notes and rests every day. Pair it with the metronome guide to keep your timing honest.
Practise reading notes in Clef, three minutes a day
Frequently asked questions
How long is a whole rest?
In 4/4 a whole rest lasts four beats. It is also used to show a complete bar of silence in any time signature, so in 3/4 it lasts three beats and in 2/4 it lasts two.
What is the difference between a half rest and a whole rest?
Both are small filled rectangles. The half rest sits on top of the middle line and lasts two beats in 4/4. The whole rest hangs from the fourth line up and lasts a full bar.
Do I count rests?
Yes. A rest has exactly the same duration as the note of the same value, so count it as if you were playing, keeping your fingers off the keys. Counting rests is how you stay in time.
What does a dot after a note mean?
The dot adds half of the note value. A dotted half note lasts 2 + 1 = 3 beats, and a dotted quarter lasts 1 + 1/2 = 1 1/2 beats.
What is the difference between a tie and a slur?
A tie joins two notes of the same pitch into one longer note. A slur covers notes of different pitches and tells you to play them smoothly connected. Check the pitches to tell them apart.
Are US and UK note names the same notes?
Yes, they are only different names. Whole note is semibreve, half note is minim, quarter note is crotchet, eighth note is quaver and sixteenth note is semiquaver.