How to Count Music

This guide is designed to help you read and count music. The pictures will help you label and see how music is written and counted.

There are a few things that you will need to know before beginning to count a piece of music.

1. How many beats in 1 measure (this is the top number of the time signature).
2. What type of note gets 1 beat (this is the bottom number of the key signature).
3. The value of your note lengths.

By knowing this, you can get started!

Rule 1) The first note/rest in a full measure of music will always be “1”.

Rule 2) Whole beats will receive whole numbers

Rule 3) Eighth notes will use “and” to show their length and subdivision.

Rule 4) Sixteenth notes will use “e” and “a” to show the other notes for their length.