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NOTE AND REST VALUES
A crotchet is worth one beat right?
Not always! It depends on the time signature.
There are two different types of time signatures:
1. Simple Time Signatures – those with a non-dotted value as the beat e.g. a quaver,
crotchet or minim
2. Compound Time Signatures – those with a dotted value as the beat e.g. a dotted
crotchet
Below is a guide to note/rest values in different time signatures. Print out the table that
applies to your exam piece to help you answer any possible questions from the examiner.
Good luck!
Note: N/A means Not Applicable
Tip: A whole bar of rests must have a whole bar rest
eg in 2/4 a minim rest is N/A because even though it adds up to two beats, the rests take up
the whole bar and so it must be written as a whole bar rest.
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Simple - 3/8 (beat = quaver
Symbol
)
Name
Value
Value if dotted
Semiquaver
1/2 beat
3/4 beat
Semiquaver Rest
1/2 beat
3/4 beat
Quaver
1 beat
1 1/2 beats
Quaver Rest
1 beat
1 1/12 beats
Crotchet
2 beats
3 beats
Whole Bar Rest
3 beats
N/A
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Simple - 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 (beat
(beat = crotchet
Symbol
)
Name
Value
Value if dotted
Semiquaver
1/4 beat
3/8 beat
Semiquaver Rest
1/4 beat
beat
3/8 beat
Quaver
½ beat
3/4 beat
Quaver Rest
½ beat
3/4 beat
Crotchet
1 beat
1 1/2 beats
Crot
Cro tchet Rest
1 beat
N/A
Minim
2 beats
N/A in 2/4
3 beats in 3/4
3 beats in 4/4
Minim Rest
N/A in 2/4
N/A
N/A in 3/4
2 beats in 4/4
N/A
Semibreve
N/A in 2/4
N/A in 3/4
4 beats in 4/4
N/A
Whole Bar Rest
2
3
4
beats
beats
beats
(in
(in
(in
2/4)
2 /4)
3/4)
4/4)
4/4)
N/A
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Simple - 2/2,
2/2 , 3/2 and 4/2 (beat = minim
Symbol
)
Name
Value
Value if dotted
do tted
Semiquaver
1/8 beat
3/16 beat
Semiquaver Rest
1/8 beat
3/16 beat
Quaver
1/4 beat
3/8 beat
Quaver Rest
1/4 beat
3/8 beat
Crotchet
1/2 beat
3/4 beat
Crotchet Rest
1/2 beat
N/A
Minim
1 beat
1 1/2 beats
Minim Rest
1 beat
N/A
Semibreve
2 beats
N/A
Whole Bar Rest
2
3
4
beats
beats
beats
if
if
if
2/2
3/2
4/2
N/A
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Compound - 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 (beat = dotted crotchet
Symbol
Symb ol
, pulse = quaver
)
Name
Value
Value if dotted
Semiquaver
1/2 quaver pulse
3/4 quaver pulse
Semiquaver Rest
1/2 quaver pulse
3/4 quaver pulse
Quaver
1 quaver pulse
1 1/2 quaver
pulses
Quaver Rest
1 quaver pulse
1 1/12 quaver
pulses
pulses
Crotchet
2 quaver pulses
1 beat
(3 quaver pulses)
Crotchet Rest
2 quaver pulses
1 beat
(3 quaver pulses)
pulses)
Minim
N/A
2 beats
(6 quaver pulses)
pulses)
Minim Rest
N/A
N/A in 6/8
N/A in 9/8
2 beats in 12/8
Whole Bar
Bar Rest
2 beats in 6/8
3 beats in 9/8
4 beats in 12/8
N/A
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