Rhythm
Dotted notes: what the dot means
A dot after a note adds half of that note's length. A half note lasts two beats, so a dotted half note lasts three. A quarter note lasts one beat, so a dotted quarter lasts one and a half. Dotted notes create the long-short patterns that give rhythms their swing.
Dotted notes at a glance
| Name | Length in 4/4 | Made of |
|---|---|---|
| Dotted half note | 3 beats | half + quarter |
| Dotted quarter note | 1½ beats | quarter + eighth |
| Dotted eighth note | ¾ beat | eighth + sixteenth |
Hear and tap dotted rhythms
Dotted half note
Three beats, then a quarter note.
Dotted quarter and eighth
Long-short: one and a half beats, then half a beat.
Dotted eighth and sixteenth
The skipping long-short pattern inside each beat.
Adding half
Take the note's length and add half of it again: 2 + 1 = 3 beats for a dotted half note, 1 + ½ = 1½ for a dotted quarter, ½ + ¼ = ¾ for a dotted eighth. The dot always sits just to the right of the notehead.
The dotted quarter and eighth
A dotted quarter is almost always followed by an eighth note, and together they fill two beats: the long note starts on the beat and the short one lands on the "&" of the next beat. Count it "1 (2) & 3 (4) &".
Dotted notes in 3/4
A dotted half note lasts three beats, so it fills a whole bar of 3/4 on its own. That is why you see it so often in waltzes.