HEY PIANO 4UPiano Rhythm for Beginners: Note Lengths and How to Count
Every note has a name (which key) and a length (how long you hold it). Reading rhythm means understanding the second part. Here is the simplest way to count it.
The beat
Most music has a steady pulse called the beat. Tap your foot along to a song and you are tapping the beat. Note lengths are measured in beats.
Common note lengths
| Note | Beats (in 4/4) | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
| Half note | 2 | 1 2 |
| Quarter note | 1 | 1 |
| Eighth note | ½ | 1 & (two per beat) |
| Dotted half note | 3 | 1 2 3 |
A dot after a note makes it half as long again. So a dotted half note is 2 + 1 = 3 beats, and a dotted quarter is 1 + ½ = 1½ beats.
Rests
A rest is silence with a length. A quarter rest lasts one beat of silence, a half rest two beats and so on. Count through rests just like notes.
Time signatures and bars
The time signature at the start of a song tells you how many beats are in each bar (the section between vertical lines). The top number is the number of beats and the bottom number tells you which note value counts as one beat. In 4/4 time there are four quarter-note beats in a bar. In 3/4 time, the common time of waltzes, there are three. Count 1-2-3-4 in 4/4 and 1-2-3 in 3/4, putting a slight stress on beat 1.
How to see rhythm in Hey Piano 4U
You do not need to read notation to feel rhythm. In Hey Piano 4U each key stays lit for as long as the note lasts, and the falling bar on the display is as long as the note. Bar lines are drawn across the display and each bar is numbered. Try this:
- Choose Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in Watch mode and tap your foot.
- Notice which notes last one beat and which last two.
- Switch to Play along at a slow speed and hold each key while it is lit.
The organ voice is especially useful for this, because it holds a note for exactly as long as you press the key. Read more in piano vs organ.
Practice tips
- Count aloud while you play, especially in rests.
- Clap the rhythm of a bar before you play it.
- Use a slower speed until the counting feels automatic.
Keep learning: Why Practising Piano Slowly Works (and How to Do It) · Piano Chords for Beginners: Major, Minor and the I-IV-V Pattern