Note values

Note values
(note VAL-yooz)

[Eng.]

The note value is the duration of a note, or the relationship of the duration of the note to the measure. The duration of a note is as follows in common time or 4/4 time:

Note Values

British Term

American Term

Note having a duration of one full measure. Semibreve Whole note

Note having a duration of one half of a full measure. Minim Half note

Note having a duration of a quarter of a full measure. Crotchet Quarter note

Note having a duration of one eighth of a full measure. Quaver Eighth note

Note having a duration of one sixteenth of a full measure. Semiquaver Sixteenth note

Note having a duration of one thirty-second of a full measure. Demisemiquaver Thirty-second note

The half note (minim) is half the duration of the whole note (semibreve), the quarter (crotchet) is half the duration of the half note (minim), etc .

Note Values	British Term	American Term
Note having a duration of one full measure.	Semibreve	Whole note
Note having a duration of one half of a full measure.	Minim	Half note
Note having a duration of a quarter of a full measure.	Crotchet	Quarter note
Note having a duration of one eighth of a full measure.	Quaver	Eighth note
Note having a duration of one sixteenth of a full measure.	Semiquaver	Sixteenth note
Note having a duration of one thirty-second of a full measure.	Demisemiquaver	Thirty-second note