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Lesson: The Quarter Note

The quarter note gets one beat in common time. In a 4/4 measure you can fit four of them — one per beat. We count them simply: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

Hear it, then say it

Before reading a single quarter note, you should be able to audiate a steady beat — feel it internally — and chant a neutral syllable on each beat. Only after the sound is secure do we attach the symbol.

Practice steps

1. Tap a steady beat with your foot.
2. Chant “bah” on each tap for four beats.
3. Now look at four quarter notes and chant them while tapping.

When you’re ready, head to Practice → Rhythm Patterns and play a few quarter-note patterns. Your time on this page and your plays over there are both recorded automatically.

Tip

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