Note Value
The duration of a note relative to the beat.
Category
notation
Pronunciation
NOTE VAL-yoo
Origin
English
Length
155 words · 1 min read
About Note Value
Note values indicate how long a note is held. The standard note values in descending duration are: semibreve (whole note, 4 beats), minim (half note, 2 beats), crotchet (quarter note, 1 beat), quaver (eighth note, half a beat), semiquaver (sixteenth note), demisemiquaver (thirty-second note), and hemidemisemiquaver (sixty-fourth note).
More notation terms
Ledger Line
View all notationterms →A short horizontal line drawn above or below the staff to extend its range for notes too high or too low to fit.
AccidentalA symbol placed before a note to raise or lower its pitch by a semitone or whole tone, overriding the key signature.
StaffThe set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.
Tempo MarkingA word or phrase placed at the beginning of a piece or section indicating the speed at which it should be performed.
TieA curved line joining two adjacent notes of the same pitch, combining their durations into a single sustained sound.
Compare with similar terms
v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →