1
Understand what a measure is. Music is divided into measures, which are designated by a vertical line. Notes in music are named based on how much time they take up within a measure. Think of the measure as a pie that can be cut into quarters, halves, eighths, or a combination of different notes.
2
Learn basic notation. In a 4/4 time signature, the names of the notes clue you in to how much of the measure they will take. This will necessitate a rudimentary understanding of fractions. A whole note will take the whole measure. A half note will take half of the measure. From there, you can figure out that:
Quarter notes take a quarter of the measure.
Eighth notes take one eighth of the measure.
Sixteenth notes take one sixteenth of the measure.
Notes can be combined to make one whole. For instance, 1 half note and 2 quarter notes makes 1 whole measure.
3
Practice keeping the beat. In an even rhythm, tap your heel and count to 4 repeatedly, like this: 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. The speed is less important than keeping the time even between each number. A metronome can also be helpful in setting an even beat.
Each full cycle of 1-2-3-4 is 1 measure.
4
Practice counting basic note lengths. Say or sing “la” while continuing to keep up the counting in your head. A whole note will take the whole measure, so begin singing “la” at the number 1, and hold it until you have reached 4. You have just performed a whole note.
2 half notes make up a measure. Sing “la” for 1-2 then a new “la” for 3-4.
There are 4 quarter notes in a measure. Sing “la” for each number you’re tapping
5
Add syllables for smaller notes. For eighth notes, you will need to divide the measure into 8 even pieces, but you are still only beating 4 times per measure. Add the word “and” between each number as you count like this: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.” Practice this until it becomes easy. Each word is 1 eighth note.
Use a similar principle to count sixteenth notes. You will need to fit 16 sounds into 1 measure and do it evenly. One common way to do this is to say “1-e-and-a, 2-e-and-a, 3-e-and-a, 4-e-and-a.” Remember that the numbers should still be played and sung perfectly evenly.[2]
The same general idea can be applied to even smaller notes, but as these notes appear rarely, they are less important to master as a beginner
6
Understand what a dot means. Sometimes in music there is a small dot immediately after a note. This dot indicates that the note’s length should be increased by 50%.
A half note, normally worth 2 beats, becomes 3 beats with a dot.
A quarter note, worth 1 beat without the dot, takes 1.5 beats with a dot
7
Practice triplets. Triplets are when 1 beat is divided into 3 notes. This is tricky because otherwise all the notes you have practiced are even fractions. Vocalizing syllables can help you get the hang of triplets.
Practice counting triplets by saying “1-e-and, 2-e-and, 3-e-and, 4-e-and.
Remember to continue keeping the numbers even using a metronome or tapping your foot.
Explanation:
