Beat and tempo (BPM)
O beat is the steady beat you tap with your foot. tempo is the speed of that beat, measured in BPM (beats per minute). 60 BPM = one beat per second. A ballad is around 70, a danceable pop song around 120.
Note values
Each note value is worth half of the previous one. Counting the quarter note as 1 beat:
| Note value | Value (beats) | How many fit in a whole note | Matching rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note | 4 | 1 | whole rest |
| Half note | 2 | 2 | half rest |
| Quarter note | 1 | 4 | quarter rest |
| Eighth note | ½ | 8 | eighth rest |
| Sixteenth note | ¼ | 16 | sixteenth rest |
| Thirty-second note | ⅛ | 32 | thirty-second rest |
| Sixty-fourth note | 1/16 | 64 | sixty-fourth rest |
How to spot it: the whole note is a hollow dot with no stem; the half note, hollow dot with a stem; the quarter note, filled dot with a stem; the eighth note gets a little flag (or a beam joining several); a sixteenth note, two.
Rests are silences with the same length as the notes. Silence is music too: it gets counted as well.
Dot and tie
- Augmentation dot: a dot after the note adds half the value of it. Dotted half note = 2 + 1 = 3 beats. Dotted quarter note = 1 + ½ = 1½.
- Slur: a curve connecting two notes equal adds the durations together; you play once and hold.
Learn by playing. In Dedilhado Vivo you see where each finger presses, play for real and the app checks you through the microphone. Free, no sign-up.
Open the free app →Measures: music divided into blocks
Music is divided into measures, separated by vertical bar lines on the sheet music. At the start you see the time signature, two stacked numbers:
- Top number: how many beats each measure has.
- Bottom number: which note value gets one beat (4 = quarter note, 8 = eighth note, 2 = half note).
| Measure | Beats | How to count it | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 | 1 2 | Marchinha, samba, frevo, polka |
| 3/4 | 3 quarter notes | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | Waltz, some guarânias |
| 4/4 | 4 quarter notes | 1 2 3 4 | Pop, rock, sertanejo, most songs |
| 6/8 | 6 eighth notes (2 groups of 3) | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Ballads, Irish tunes, some lullabies |
The first beat of each measure is the strong beat. In 4/4, beat 3 is medium-strong, and 2 and 4 are weak, right where pop drums put the snare.
Simple and compound time
In 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 each beat divides into two (simple). In 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 each beat splits into three (compound): 6/8 has two beats, each with three eighth notes. Tap your foot on 1 and 4 and you'll feel the swing “TAH-ta-ta, TAH-ta-ta”.
How to count out loud
- Quarter notes: “1, 2, 3, 4”.
- Eighth notes: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and”. The number falls with your foot, the “and” between the beats.
- Sixteenth notes: “1 e and a 2 e and a…” or “1-e-&-a”.
- Long notes: keep counting while you hold. A half note on beat 1 lasts “1, 2”.
Syncopation and offbeat
Offbeat is playing on the “and”, between the beats, like in reggae and ska. Syncopation is when a note starts on a weak beat and carries over the strong beat, shifting the accent. Samba and bossa nova are full of syncopation, and that's what gives Brazilian music its “swing”.
Rhythm on the guitar
Guitar strumming patterns are pure rhythm: ↓ and ↑ on top of the count. The classic pop pattern in 4/4 is ↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑, counted “1 · 2 and · and 4 and”. See more in the guide to guitar.
Now put the theory into your fingers
In Dedilhado Vivo you learn flute, guitar, violin or piano by seeing each finger on the screen, and the app listens to you play through the microphone.
Practice theory in the free appFrequently asked questions
How long does each note value last?
With the quarter note worth one beat: whole note 4, half note 2, quarter note 1, eighth note one half, sixteenth note one quarter, thirty-second note one eighth and sixty-fourth note one sixteenth.
What does 4/4 time mean?
Four beats per measure, and each beat is a quarter note. It's the most common time signature in popular music.
What's the difference between 3/4 and 6/8?
3/4 has three quarter-note beats (the waltz: ONE two three). 6/8 has two beats, each with three eighth notes (ONE two three FOUR five six).
What is BPM?
Beats per minute: the speed of the music. 60 BPM is one beat per second.