Duation

Duration

By Cameron Spike-Porter

Duration

In music, duration refers to how long or short a sound or silence lasts. It is one of the key elements that helps create rhythm. Duration plays an important role in shaping the feel or “groove” of a song. This includes the steady pulse underneath the music, the length of notes, and how they are grouped into patterns. Understanding duration helps you to read, perform, and feel music more accurately.

Legato and Staccato

These are two important articulation terms used to describe how notes are played. Legato means the notes are played smoothly and connected, with no space between them. It creates a flowing, joined-up sound. Staccato means the notes are short and detached, with space or silence between each one. Both styles can affect the mood or energy of a piece.

Listen
&
Answer

Multiple Choice

What best describes the duration of the keyboard notes?

• Staccato

• Legato

Listen
&
Answer

Multiple Choice

What best describes the duration of the strings (violins & cellos)?

• Staccato

• Legato

In summary ...

Staccato means the notes are played short and detached, with a sharp, bouncy feel, like in “Superstition” legato means the notes are long, smooth and connected, flowing into one another without gaps, as in “At Last” by Etta James.

Note Values

Note values tell us how long each note or rest lasts. Our 2 main 'long note' names are:

• Semibreve = 4 beats

• Minim (half note) = 2 beats

A Semibreve
is the largest value. It lasts for 4 counts. It has NO stem.

A Minim
is the second largest value. It lasts for 2 counts.

Multiple Choice

Which note last for 4 counts?

Multiple Choice

Which note is a Minim?

Open Ended

What is the value of this note?
(your resonse should be a number)

Open Ended

What is the value of this note?
(your resonse should be a number)

Note Values

The next common note values are 'shorter'.
They are:

• Crotchet = 1 beat

• Quaver = 1/2 a beat

A crotchet = 1 count.

A quaver = 1/2 a count.
(It is a crotchet with a tail!)

Multiple Choice

Note value?

• 1

• 2

• 1/2

• 4

Multiple Choice

These are two quavers joined together. What do they equal? (1 quaver = 1/2)

• 2

• 1

• 1/2

• 4

Multiple Choice

These are four quavers joined together. What do they equal? (1 quaver = 1/2)

• 2

• 4

• 1

• 3

Multiple Choice

Note value of a crotchet?

• 1

• 2

• 1/2

• 4

Multiple Choice

What note value = 4 counts?

• Crotchet

• Minim

• Quaver

• Semibreve

Multiple Choice

What note = 1 count?

• Crotchet

• Minim

• Quaver

• Semibreve

Multiple Choice

What note = 1/2 a count?

• Crotchet

• Minim

• Quaver

• Semibreve

Multiple Choice

What note = 2 counts?

• Crotchet

• Minim

• Quaver

• Semibreve

Multiple Choice

How many crotchets do you need to make up 1 full bar of 4/4 music?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 1

Multiple Choice

What do these notes add up to?

• 12

• 8

• 10

• 4

Multiple Choice

What do these notes add up to?

• 4

• 8

• 10

• 12

Multiple Choice

Solve the Multiplication Math problem

• 24

• 32

• 14

• 12

Multiple Choice

What is this animal?

• Duck

• Pigeon

• Goose

• Chicken

Meter / Time Signature

Meter is how we count the beats in music. We show it with a time signature, which looks like a fraction at the start of the music. The top number tells how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number tells what kind of note is one beat. For example, 4/4 means there are 4 beats in each bar, and each beat is a crotchet (quarter note). Most modern music uses 4/4.

This is what a time signature looks like written on the stave.

The top number is how many beats per bar.

The bottom number is what type of note (in this case it is 1/4)

Multiple Choice

How many beats per bar?

• 8

• 6

Multiple Choice

How many beats per bar?

• 8

• 4

• 6

Multiple Choice

What would this time signature be?

• 4/4

• 6/4

• 2/4

• 3/4

Multiple Choice

What would this time signature be?

• 4/4

• 6/4

• 2/4

• 3/4

Multiple Choice

What type of note is used for a bar of 6/8?

• Quaver
  

• Crotchet
  

• Minim
  

• Semibreve

Tempo

Tempo means the speed of the music — how fast or slow it feels. Composers often use Italian words to show the tempo at the start of a piece. Some common ones include:

• Largo = very slow

• Adagio = slow

• Andante = walking pace

• Moderato = medium speed

• Allegro = fast and lively

• Presto = very fast

Multiple Choice

What word best describes the tempo?

• Slow
  (Adagio)

• Fast
  (Allegro)

Multiple Choice

What word best describes the tempo?

• Slow
  (Adagio)

• Fast
  (Allegro)

In summary

Multiple Choice

What does duration mean?

• How fast the song is played

• How loud the music sounds

• How high the notes are

• Everything to do with time in music.

Multiple Choice

What does “legato” mean?

• Loud and forceful

• Notes played short and sharp

• Notes played smooth and connected

• Played with a pause between bars

Multiple Choice

What does “staccato” mean?

• Loud and forceful

• Notes played short and sharp

• Notes played smooth and connected

• Played with a pause between bars

Multiple Choice

Which of these note values lasts for 2 counts?

• Crotchet

• Minim

• Quaver

Multiple Choice

If you see 6/8 at the beginning of a piece, how many beats are in each bar?

• 3 beats

• 6 quaver beats

• 8 crotchet beats

• 6 minim beats

Open Ended

This is a past HSC exam question.
Discuss the duration of this piece, refer to section A and section B. How are they different?

That concludes our lesson on Duration

Poll

How do you feel about duration?

• Great

• ok

• not bad

• not very well