Music Note Values Chart — Free Printable PDF
Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes with the rest that matches each one, how many beats they last in 4/4, and how they stack up against a whole note. Hit Print or Download PDF for the whole chart on one page — no signup. Pair it with blank staff paper to write out the rhythms you are counting.
Prints on one US Letter page. Set margins to "None" for the sharpest result.
Music Note Values Chart
Note and rest durations in 4/4 time (quarter note = 1 beat)
Note Values
| Note | Name | UK name | Beats in 4/4 | Count it out loud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note | Semibreve | 4 beats | 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | |
| Half note | Minim | 2 beats | 1 – 2 | |
| Quarter note | Crotchet | 1 beat | 1 | |
| Eighth note | Quaver | ½ beat | 1 – and | |
| Sixteenth note | Semiquaver | ¼ beat | 1 – e – and – a |
Rest Values
| Rest | Name | UK name | Silent for | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole rest | Semibreve rest | 4 beats | Hangs below the 4th staff line | |
| Half rest | Minim rest | 2 beats | Sits on top of the 3rd staff line | |
| Quarter rest | Crotchet rest | 1 beat | The zigzag — centered on the staff | |
| Eighth rest | Quaver rest | ½ beat | One flag, like an eighth note | |
| Sixteenth rest | Semiquaver rest | ¼ beat | Two flags, like a sixteenth note |
Every rest lasts exactly as long as the note of the same name — the sound stops, the counting keeps going.
How They Fit in One Whole Note
Dotted Notes — a Dot Adds Half Again
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FAQ
How many beats is each note worth?
In 4/4 time a whole note lasts 4 beats, a half note 2 beats, a quarter note 1 beat, an eighth note half a beat, and a sixteenth note a quarter of a beat. Every rest is worth exactly the same as the note it matches — the sound stops, the counting doesn't.
Do note values change in other time signatures?
The notes always keep the same relationship to one another — a half note is always two quarter notes. What changes is which note gets called 'one beat'. The bottom number of the time signature names the beat note: 4 means the quarter note gets the beat, 8 means the eighth note does. So in 6/8 an eighth note is one beat, not half a beat.
What does a dot after a note mean?
A dot adds half of the note's own value back to it. A dotted half note is 2 + 1 = 3 beats, a dotted quarter is 1 + ½ = 1½ beats. The same rule works for rests, and a second dot would add half again of the first dot.
How do I tell a whole rest from a half rest?
They are the same small black rectangle, so the staff line is the only clue: a whole rest hangs down from the fourth line, and a half rest sits on top of the third line. 'Whole is heavier so it falls, half is lighter so it floats' is the mnemonic most teachers use.
Is this note values chart really free to print?
Yes — click Print or Download PDF and you get the full chart on one US Letter page. No signup, no watermark, and no limit on copies for your classroom or music studio.