We read and write words using the alphabet.  We read and write music using “notes”.

The different types of notes show musicians how long to make a sound.

Can you sing your ABC letter song just through “g” then stop?  When you sing it, notice that you sing each letter for the same amount of time until you sing “g”.   The sound “g” is longer, twice as long, as the letters “a-f” in your alphabet song.

In music, this would be written using quarter notes and a half note for “g”.

THE QUARTER NOTE

The quarter note looks like a big black foot on a  skinny leg.  Think of the quarter note as a “foot” note that marches to the beat!

Each quarter note takes one beat, just as each letter “a-f” takes one beat when you sing your ABCs.

QUARTER NOTE = ONE BEAT

HALF NOTE = TWO BEATS

THE HALF NOTE

The “g” in the ABC song is sung twice as long as any other letter and would be shown as a half note.  Use your imagination and it looks a little like a raindrop.  It gets two beats as when you say “rain-drop”.  A raindrop falls and goes “ker-plunk!”

REMEMBER:

QUARTER NOTE = ONE BEAT

HALF NOTE = TWO BEATS

PS:  There are other types of notes that we will learn about later.

ACTIVITY:

HALF NOTE ACTIVITY:  Clap your hands while you say these words.  But ONLY clap when you say “drip” or “ker”.  NEVER clap on “drop” or “plunk”.

Drip-drop, drip-drop, drip-drop, ker-plunk!

Drip-drop, drip-drop, drip-drop, ker-plunk!

QUARTER NOTE:

Do you know how to march?  Marching to the beat, each step is taken on a beat.

Hup-2-3-4!  Hup-2-3-4!