The Dot and the Double Dot
After this lesson, you'll know how to work out the length of any note or rest that carries a dot, or even two.
The secondary signs
As you know, note values divide durations by two, into halves, then quarters, then eighths, and smaller still. But these values alone cannot produce every combination of durations. That's why musicians devised secondary signs (§ 46): the dot and the double dot, the triplet, and the tie. Let's start with the dot.
The dot
The dot is placed after a note, and it adds half of the note's original value. Take a half note, or minim: it's worth two quarter notes, or crotchets. With a dot, it gains one more quarter note, so it's worth three quarter notes.
Thanks to the dot, you get durations worth three quarters of the next larger value. The dotted half note, for example, is worth three quarter notes, which is three quarters of a whole note (§ 48).
| Dotted note | equals |
|---|---|
| Dotted whole note | 3 half notes |
| Dotted half note | 3 quarter notes |
| Dotted quarter note | 3 eighth notes |
| Dotted eighth note | 3 sixteenth notes |
| Dotted sixteenth note | 3 32nd notes |
| Dotted 32nd note | 3 64th notes |
The dot after a rest
Now that you know the dot after a note, the dot after a rest will be easy. It works the same way: it lengthens the rest by half (§ 50).
| Dotted rest | equals |
|---|---|
| Dotted whole rest | 1 whole rest and 1 half rest |
| Dotted half rest | 1 half rest and 1 quarter rest |
| Dotted eighth rest | 1 eighth rest and 1 sixteenth rest |
| Dotted sixteenth rest | 1 sixteenth rest and 1 32nd rest |
| Dotted 32nd rest | 1 32nd rest and 1 64th rest |
The double dot
You can also place two dots after a note or a rest. The second dot adds half the value of the first dot, which is a quarter of the original value (§ 52). So a double-dotted half note lasts as long as a half note, plus a quarter note, plus an eighth note: seven eighth notes in all.
With the double dot, you get durations worth seven eighths of the next larger value: the double-dotted half note is worth seven eighths of a whole note (§ 53).
- Value
- Dotted half note
- In quarter notes
- 3 quarter notes
- In whole notes
- 3/4 of a whole note
- Breakdown
- Half note + Quarter note
Give the value of each dotted note in terms of undotted notes: dotted half note, dotted eighth note, dotted 32nd note.
Give the value of each double-dotted note: double-dotted half note, double-dotted quarter note, double-dotted eighth note.
The dot always lengthens a value. In the next lesson, you'll discover the triplet, which divides a value into three. For now, try the quiz.