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Art & music · Grades 3–7

Rhythm, pulse and note values

These questions use a quarter note as one beat unless otherwise stated.

Make a worksheet

Understand the idea

State the convention

These questions use a quarter note as one beat unless otherwise stated.

Pulse and rhythm differ

Pulse is the regular beat; rhythm is the pattern of durations.

Count silence too

A rest occupies time even though no note is played.

Worked examples

With a quarter note equal to one beat, how many beats does a half note last?

A half note equals two quarter notes.

2

How many eighth notes have the same total duration as one quarter note?

Two eighth notes equal one quarter note.

2

Try it yourself

  1. A player sounds the first three beats of a four-beat bar and has a one-beat rest. What happens during beat four?

    1. The player must repeat beat three.
    2. The tempo automatically doubles.
    3. The player stays silent while the beat continues.
    4. The beat is removed from the bar.

  2. In a 4/4 bar, one half note and one quarter note use how many beats?

  3. How many quarter-note beats remain in that 4/4 bar after a half note and a quarter note?

  4. Tempo refers primarily to

    1. the height of a note
    2. the page colour
    3. the speed of the beat
    4. the instrument's weight

Answers and marking notes

Answers and marking notes
  1. The player stays silent while the beat continues.

    A rest occupies measured time. The silent beat still belongs to the four-beat bar.

  2. 3

    2 + 1 = 3.

  3. 1

    Four total beats minus three used leaves one.

  4. the speed of the beat

    Tempo describes how fast the pulse moves.

Preview material · independent educational review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.