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Lesson: Dotted Rhythms

A dot adds half the value of the note again. A dotted half note (normally two beats) becomes three beats. A dotted quarter becomes one-and-a-half.

The dotted-quarter-plus-eighth figure

The classic figure is a dotted quarter followed by an eighth — the “long- short” pattern you hear at the start of countless tunes. It’s tricky because the eighth note lands on the and of beat two, not on a beat.

Practice steps

1. Chant a steady “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”.
2. Hold the dotted quarter across “1 & 2”, then say the eighth on “&”.
3. Try it slowly, then bring it up to tempo.

Then go to Practice → Tunes and find a tune that uses this figure. Play it a few times and listen for the long-short.

Tip

Notice this lesson tracks separately from the quarter-note lesson — the report will show your time on each page, not just “lessons” as a lump.