Rhythm Notation

Notes can have different durations. A note duration is not expressed in seconds, but as a multiple of the tempo. A quarter note is one beat. The tempo is expressed in bpm (Beats Per Minute). So, if the tempo is 60, a quarter note lasts 1 second. If the tempo is 120, the quarter note is ½ second. The other notes are defined in terms of quarter notes:

When a note is dotted, its duration is one and a half times its original value (x1.5):

N-tuplets (triplets, quintuplets, sextuplets...) consists of playing a certain number of notes in a defined time. For example, a triplet of eighth notes (3 x ½ beat = 1.5 beat) is played on one beat: