The single eighth note looks like a quarter note with a flag added to the top of the stem.
When eighth notes are on their own and not beamed together, this is exactly what they look like.
Since it takes 2 eighth notes to equal 1 beat in 4/4, 3/4, or 2/4 time, one eighth note by itself is equal to 1/2 a beat.
If you divided a quarter note in half, you would have one single eighth note.
The eighth rests are very similar in function. Let’s go ahead and talk about them next.
