Quarter Note

In Western music notation, the quarter note (American English) or crotchet (British English) is a note value representing a sound of medium length within the rhythmic hierarchy. In simple time signatures such as 4/4, it typically corresponds to one beat and is fundamental to the way rhythm is counted, taught and notated. Its associated silence is called a quarter rest or crotchet rest, which lasts for the same duration. Together, the quarter note and quarter rest form an essential part of basic music reading and are among the first symbols introduced in music theory and instrumental tuition.

Notation and visual characteristics

The quarter note is written with a filled-in oval notehead and a straight, flagless stem. Unlike eighth notes and shorter values, it has no flag or beam. The orientation and placement of the stem follow standard engraving conventions:

• If the notehead lies below the middle line of the stave, the stem usually points upwards and is attached to the right side of the notehead.
• If the notehead is on or above the middle line, the stem generally points downwards and is joined on the left side of the notehead.

These conventions help maintain clarity and spacing, especially when multiple voices are written on the same staff.
In digital typography and character sets, the quarter note has its own Unicode symbol: U+2669 (♪). This symbol is often used in informal writing to indicate music, songs or rhythm, even outside the context of formal notation.
The quarter rest, which indicates a silence equal in duration to a quarter note, has its own distinctive symbol. In modern notation it is drawn as a stylised zigzag-like shape sitting on the staff. Older notational practice sometimes employed a different symbol resembling a vertical stroke with a small flourish; both forms occur in historical sources, and earlier theory manuals treat the old form as a manuscript alternative or a predecessor to the modern printed symbol.

Duration and rhythmic function

In relation to other note values, the quarter note fits into a systematic proportional structure:

• It is one quarter of a whole note (semibreve).
• It is half the duration of a half note (minim).
• It is twice the duration of an eighth note (quaver).

In a bar of 4/4 time, the quarter note represents one beat, and a whole note fills the entire bar. In 2/4 time, it likewise represents one beat, with two beats per bar. In 3/4 time, three quarter notes occupy the measure, forming the basic pulse of many waltzes and dances.
In other time signatures, the quarter note may no longer represent the beat directly, but its relative duration remains fixed. For example:

• In 6/8 time, the dotted quarter note is often felt as the beat, so an undotted quarter note lasts for two-thirds of that beat.
• In 2/2 (alla breve), the half note (minim) is typically the beat, making the quarter note half a beat in duration.

Because of this flexibility, the quarter note serves as a convenient reference value in tempo markings. Metronome marks such as “♩ = 120” specify that 120 quarter-note beats occur per minute.

Historical background and terminology

Historically, the quarter note derives from mensural notation, the system used in medieval and Renaissance music. In that context it corresponds to a value shorter than the minim, often linked to the semiminim or “half-minim” stage in the evolution of rhythmic notation. Over time, as rhythmic symbols were simplified and standardised, the modern quarter note emerged as a core unit of time.
The British term crotchet comes from Old French, meaning “little hook”, a reference to the hooked shapes used in earlier mensural notation. Although modern quarter notes no longer carry an actual hook, the historical name has been retained in British usage.
The American term quarter note is a calque (loan translation) of the German word meaning “quarter note” and emphasises its proportional relationship: it is one quarter of a whole note. The terminology thus directly reflects the mathematical structure of the note-value system.
Naming conventions vary across languages:

• In Romance languages such as French, Spanish, Catalan and Galician, the name for the quarter note and its rest derives from a Latin root meaning “black”, because in early notation this note was among the longest note values to be filled in (coloured) rather than hollow. The darkened notehead is still visible in its modern form.
• In a number of other languages, including Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Serbian and Slovak, the term for the note explicitly means “quarter”, and the rest is often called “quarter’s pause” or equivalent, indicating silence of that length.

This variety of names reflects both historical developments in notation and local linguistic traditions, while the underlying rhythmic value remains consistent.

The quarter rest (crotchet rest)

The quarter rest or crotchet rest signifies a silence lasting as long as a quarter note would sound. It is essential for notating rhythmic patterns accurately, ensuring that periods of silence are measured and synchronised between different parts or instruments.
In modern engraving, the quarter rest is drawn as a stylised angular mark positioned centrally on the staff. Its placement in specific vertical positions helps distinguish it from other types of rests, such as half-note, eighth-note or sixteenth-note rests. The underlying principle, however, is that rests, like notes, are proportionally related:

• A quarter rest is half the length of a half rest (minim rest).
• It is twice the length of an eighth rest (quaver rest).

Older music occasionally features a different graphical representation for the quarter rest, sometimes taught in theory manuals as a manuscript variant of the printed symbol. Students studying historical scores or calligraphic notation may encounter this older form and learn to recognise both styles as equivalent in meaning.

Use in teaching, theory and performance

Because of its central role in common time signatures, the quarter note is heavily emphasised in music education. Early rhythm exercises often use strings of quarter notes and rests to teach basic pulse, counting and coordination. Students typically learn to count them using syllables such as “ta” or simply “1, 2, 3, 4”, depending on the pedagogical system.
In theory examinations and rudiments courses, the quarter note and quarter rest provide a reference point for explaining:

• Time signatures and the concept of the beat.
• The relationship between simple and compound time.
• The effects of dots and ties in modifying duration.