Music · Grades 4–9

Rhythm, meter and note values · Revision sheet

Use the stated meter before counting beats.

Learn the idea

A beat provides a recurring pulse in the musical model.

In common simple notation, the time signature indicates grouping and a note-value reference.

For this guide in 4/4, a quarter note receives one beat and a half note two.

A rest has duration even though no note is sounded.

At a stated 60 beats per minute, how many beats occur in 2 minutes at constant tempo?
Why is loudness different from tempo?

Independent educational review required. Grade bands are approximate; these are not officially aligned curricula.