Crotchet
A note lasting one beat in common time, equivalent to a quarter note in American terminology.
Category
rhythm
Pronunciation
/ˈkrɒtʃɪt/
Origin
Old French (croche, hook)
Length
192 words · 1 min read
About Crotchet
The crotchet is one of the most commonly encountered note values in Western music. In 4/4 time, four crotchets fill a complete bar, making it the standard unit of beat in most common-time signatures.
More rhythm terms
Polyrhythm
View all rhythmterms →The simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythmic patterns
Time SignatureA notational convention indicating how many beats are in each bar and which note value gets one beat
BeatThe basic unit of time in music — the regular pulse a listener feels
Dotted NoteA note followed by a dot, which increases its duration by half its original value.
BarA segment of music bounded by bar lines, containing a fixed number of beats
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