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Sixteenth Notes and Rests

Sixteenth Notes and Rests

Counting sixteenth notes and rests is even harder than eighth notes. What you have to remember is that a sixteenth note or rest is only worth 1/4 (a quarter) of a regular beat. So it takes FOUR sixteenth notes to make 1 full beat.

We can’t count just      1   and   2   and   3   and   4   and anymore, we have to divide the beats into fourths:

Counting sixteenth notes 

When you divide the beats into fourths, it sounds like this:

“One-e-and-ah  two-e-and-ah  three-e-and-ah  four-e-and-ah”

So let’s puts some notes in there and try to count it out loud

Sixteenth note example 1

Here’s what it would sounds like:

“One two three-e-and-ah four”

How about another example:

Sixteenth note example 2

Here’s what it would sound like:

“One two-e-and-ah three and four”

You treat the sixteenth rests the same way you would the sixteenth notes:

Sixteenth rest example 1

Here’s what it would sound like:

“One-e  ah  two-e  ah”

Did you notice that I didn’t count the “and” out loud? Why?

 

Because the sixteenth rests are silent; you count them in your head, but not out loud.