ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Smile and Learn English Musical Notation – Learning Music for Kids – The quarter note, the half note and the whole note
Have you ever heard a ticking sound that goes tick-tock, tick-tock? That’s a metronome! A metronome is a special tool that helps musicians keep a steady beat when they play music. It’s like a musical clock that helps everyone stay in time.
Before we start our rock band, we need to learn about some important musical notes. Today, we’ll talk about three notes: the quarter note, the half note, and the whole note. Each note has a special rest, which means a moment of silence in music.
The quarter note is a simple note that lasts for one beat. Imagine you hear one tick of the metronome; that’s how long a quarter note lasts. If you play an instrument, like an electric guitar, you can play a note each time the metronome ticks.
But what if there’s no sound? That’s called a rest! A quarter note rest is a silent beat, just like a quarter note, but with no sound. It’s important to have rests in music to give it rhythm and space.
Next, we have the half note. It looks a bit like the quarter note, but its head is not filled in. A half note lasts for two beats, which means it is twice as long as a quarter note. So, one half note is the same as two quarter notes.
And guess what? There’s a half note rest too! It means you stay silent for two beats. It’s like taking a little break in the music.
Finally, we have the whole note. This note is really special because it lasts for four beats! That’s as long as four quarter notes or two half notes. When you play a whole note, you hold the sound for a long time.
The whole note also has a rest, which means you stay silent for four beats. It’s like a big pause in the music.
Let’s recap: the quarter note and its rest last for one beat, the half note and its rest last for two beats, and the whole note and its rest last for four beats. Now you know how to count and play these notes!
Did you enjoy learning about music notes? There are many more fun things to discover in music. Keep exploring, and maybe one day you’ll be in a rock band! Remember, practice makes perfect, and music is all about having fun.
Metronome Beat Game: Create your own metronome using a simple app on a tablet or phone, or by clapping your hands. Set a steady beat and try to clap along with it. Once you get the hang of it, try clapping a quarter note (one clap per beat), a half note (one clap every two beats), and a whole note (one clap every four beats). Can you keep up with the beat? Try speeding up or slowing down the tempo to see how it changes the rhythm!
Musical Note Hunt: Go on a musical note hunt around your house or classroom. Look for objects that can represent different musical notes. For example, a pencil could be a quarter note, a ruler could be a half note, and a long scarf could be a whole note. Arrange them in different sequences and practice counting the beats for each sequence. Can you create a simple rhythm using your found objects?
Draw and Play: Draw your own music sheet using quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes. Use different colors for each type of note to make it fun and easy to remember. Once your music sheet is ready, try playing it using a simple instrument like a xylophone or even by tapping on a table. Can you hear the difference in the length of each note? Share your music with a friend or family member and see if they can play it too!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music]
Do you hear that?
What is that?
That’s the metronome.
What’s a metronome?
The metronome is a musical device used to keep time in music. The ticking sound you hear occurs regularly, allowing musicians to maintain a consistent rhythm while playing.
That’s so cool!
Knowing this, can we start a rock band now?
We have to take it slow. First, we need to learn about musical notes. Today, I want to tell you about quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes. Each of these notes also has a rest beat, and we will talk about that too.
Look, this is the quarter note, and it lasts for one beat. We hear the quarter note between one tick and the next of the metronome.
The first thing we need is an instrument to make the quarter note sound. Do you want to try it out with an electric guitar?
Let’s go for it! Look how I’m playing at the same rate as the metronome.
[Music]
I have a question: why do we see that when there’s no sound?
That is the rest note for the quarter note. Rest notes are just as important as sound notes and also last for a certain amount of time. Should we try it again?
What did you think of the quarter note and its rest note?
Now I’m going to explain the half note.
This is the half note. It has the same shape as the quarter note, but if you look closely, you will see that the head is not filled in.
How else are they different?
Instead of lasting one beat like the quarter note, it has two beats. Basically, one half note equals two quarter notes.
Let’s take a look.
[Applause]
So when we see that little symbol with complete silence, it’s a half note rest, right?
That’s right!
[Music]
This one here is a whole note. It is equal to four quarter notes and two half notes.
Wow, it lasts for a really long time!
Yes, it has four beats. Listen closely, because I’m also going to show you the rest beat.
Now I see that the rest note is the same as the half note rest but inverted.
That’s it! Did you understand everything?
Yep! The quarter note lasts one beat, and so does its rest. The half note lasts two beats, as does its rest note.
[Music]
The whole note and its rest note last four beats. Great!
Well done! Did you like this video about music notes? We have many more videos. Click on the seal to subscribe to the Smile and Learn channel, and if you want to keep watching more videos, click on the squares.
[Music]
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
