Music Note Values and Rhythms

Which note has the longest duration?

• whole note

• half note

• quarter note

• eighth note

Answer explanation

The whole note has the longest duration among the given options. It is equal to four beats in 4/4 time signature, while a half note lasts for two beats, a quarter note for one beat, and an eighth note for half a beat. Therefore, the whole note is the longest.

What is the duration of a whole note?

• 4 beats

• 8 beats

• 2 beats

• 1 beat

Answer explanation

A whole note is the longest note value in music notation and typically represents four beats in a 4/4 time signature. This means that a whole note lasts for the entire duration of a measure in common time. Therefore, the correct choice is 4 beats.

How many beats does a half note receive?

• 2

• 4

• 8

• 1

Answer explanation

A half note receives 2 beats. In music notation, a half note is represented by a hollow oval with a stem, and it is worth half the duration of a whole note. The other options, 4 and 8, represent whole notes and double whole notes, respectively, while 1 represents a quarter note.

What is the duration of a quarter note?

• One second

• One minute

• One hour

• One beat

Answer explanation

A quarter note is a musical notation that represents one beat in a piece of music. It is called a quarter note because it is one-fourth of a whole note, which lasts for four beats. Therefore, the correct answer is 'One beat', as it indicates the duration of a quarter note.

How many beats does an eighth note receive?

• 0.5

• 4

• 2

• 1

Answer explanation

In music, an eighth note is a note played for half the duration of a quarter note, thus it receives 0.5 beats. This is the basic principle of music theory. So, the correct answer to the question is 0.5.

What is the duration of a sixteenth note?

• 1/2

• 1/4

• 1/16

• 1/8

Answer explanation

The duration of a note in music is determined by its type. In this case, the question asks about the duration of a sixteenth note. The correct answer is 1/16, which means that a sixteenth note is one sixteenth of a whole note. This is the shortest duration in common use for musical notes.

How many beats does a dotted half note receive?

• 1

• 2

• 4

• 3

Answer explanation

In music, a dotted half note is equivalent to three beats. This is because a dot after a note increases the duration of the basic note by half of its original value. Since a half note is worth two beats, adding a dot increases its value by one beat, making it three beats in total.

What is the duration of a dotted quarter note?

• 2

• 0.5

• 1.5

• 0.25

Answer explanation

In music notation, a dotted quarter note is equal to one quarter note plus one eighth note, which totals to 1.5 beats. Therefore, the duration of a dotted quarter note is 1.5 beats.

How many beats does a dotted eighth note receive?

• 1/4

• 3/4

• 1/2

• 1/8

Answer explanation

In music, a dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it. This dot increases the duration of the note by half. So, a dotted eighth note gets half again as long as an eighth note. An eighth note is 1/2 beat, so a dotted eighth note is 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4 beats. Therefore, the correct answer is 3/4.

What is the duration of a double whole note?

• 2 beats

• 8 beats

• 16 beats

• 4 beats

Answer explanation

The question asks about the duration of a double whole note in music. A double whole note, also known as a breve, is equivalent to two whole notes. Therefore, it lasts for 8 beats, not 2, 4, or 16. This makes '

8 beats

' the correct answer.