Note Value
The duration of a note relative to the beat.
Category
notation
Pronunciation
NOTE VAL-yoo
Origin
English
Length
155 words · 1 min read
About Note Value
Note values indicate how long a note is held. The standard note values in descending duration are: semibreve (whole note, 4 beats), minim (half note, 2 beats), crotchet (quarter note, 1 beat), quaver (eighth note, half a beat), semiquaver (sixteenth note), demisemiquaver (thirty-second note), and hemidemisemiquaver (sixty-fourth note).
More notation terms
Fermata
View all notationterms →A held note or rest; pause at the performer's discretion.
SlurA curved line connecting two or more notes of different pitch to indicate they should be played smoothly and connected.
ScoreA written document showing all parts of a musical composition aligned vertically on the page
Ledger LineA short horizontal line drawn above or below the staff to extend its range for notes too high or too low to fit.
StaffThe set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →