This reading music lesson is a supplement to the Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory self-study workbook. While no book is perfect for learning how to read music, this is one of the best available. The concise explanations, brief practice exercises, ear-training CD’s, glossary of music terms, and answer key make it an excellent value. Buy this top-rated self-study course for beginners to advanced musicians and follow along with me. |
Whole notes look like an oval shaped notehead that is white in the center and not filled in.
The value of this type of note is 4 counts.
To make sure we are truly recognizing it’s full value, we count the 4 beats in our heads while playing or singing it.
This is where the discussion about finding the beat comes in handy.
Once you’ve learned how to sustain a steady beat, it is much easier to count them going by for a note like this.
For best results, count in your head while tapping a steady beat in your foot. Every 4 beats that you count equals the duration of 1 whole note.
Next up is the half note.