Eighth Note (Quaver)
An eighth note is a filled notehead with a stem and one flag. Two eighth notes last as long as one quarter note.
- one flag
- two per quarter
- quaver
What does an eighth note look like?
A single eighth note has one curved flag on its stem. Adjacent eighths are often joined by one beam instead. Both spellings have the same duration. The British name is quaver.
How many eighth notes fit in a beat?
In 4/4, where the quarter note commonly carries the beat, two eighths fit in one beat. Count '1 and': the first eighth starts on 1, the second on 'and'. In 6/8, the main beat is often a dotted quarter, so three eighths fit in one larger beat.
What is an eighth rest?
An eighth rest marks the silence of one eighth-note duration. Put a rest on the 'and' after 1 and you can still play the next note on 2. The counting grid keeps going even when no note sounds.
How is it different from a sixteenth note?
A sixteenth note has two flags, or two beams when grouped. Two sixteenths fit where one eighth fits. Try clapping '1 and' and then '1 e and a' over the same quarter-note beat.