Part 2 · Reading Rhythm · Chapter 21
A dot after a note makes it half again as long.
| NOTE | PLAIN | DOTTED |
|---|---|---|
| Half note | 2 beats | 3 beats |
| Quarter note | 1 beat | 1½ beats |
| Eighth note | ½ beat | ¾ beat |
The dotted quarter followed by an eighth is one of the most common rhythms in music. The eighth lands on the & of the second beat.
Count “1 (2) & 3 4”.
Long-short, long-short.
Three beats long, then a quarter note.
When a rhythm has dots, count in the smallest note value you see. For dotted quarters, count eighth notes: “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”.