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Music · Grades 5–10

Rhythm, metre and note-value arithmetic

Written note values describe relative durations. Actual seconds depend on tempo and the beat unit.

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Prerequisites

Relevant school subject foundations and careful reasoning.

Study notes

Duration

Written note values describe relative durations. Actual seconds depend on tempo and the beat unit.

Metre

A time signature organizes beats into measures under a convention. Here 4/4 uses four quarter-note beats per measure.

Tempo

A marking of 60 quarter-note beats per minute means one quarter-note beat per second in this simple model.

Performance

Notation provides a framework, while articulation, dynamics and context influence musical interpretation. Arithmetic alone does not define expression.

Worked examples

How many eighth notes equal one quarter note in ordinary note-value arithmetic?

Each eighth note is half a quarter note.

2

At 60 quarter-note beats per minute, how many seconds does one quarter-note beat last?

60 seconds/60 beats=1 second per beat.

1 s

Check your understanding

  1. In the stated simple 4/4 convention, how many quarter-note beats fill one measure?

    1. Three
    2. One half
    3. Four
    4. Five

  2. How many quarter-note beats are in two ordinary 4/4 measures?

  3. Why does a note value alone not determine its duration in seconds?

  4. What does a rest indicate?

    1. A notated interval of silence
    2. A different instrument necessarily
    3. Always a louder note
    4. A tempo doubling

Answers and marking guidance

Answers and marking notes
  1. Four

    The top number gives four beats with quarter-note beat units in this convention.

  2. 8

    2×4=8.

  3. Tempo and the defined beat unit are needed to map relative note values to time.

    Credit both relative duration and tempo.

  4. A notated interval of silence

    A rest represents silence for its notated duration.

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