Breve/Double Whole note

A Breve/Double whole note is a note lasting twice as long as a semibreve/whole note. Because a breve itself lasts longer than a bar in most modern time signatures, it is rarely found in music now.

Semibreve/Whole note

A Semibreve/Whole note is a note represented by a hollow oval and no stem/tail attached. Its length is equal to four beats in 4/4 time

Minim/Half note

A minim/half note is played for half the duration of a semibreve and twice the duration of a crotchet/ quarter note

 Crotchet/Quarter note

A crotchet/quarter note is played for one quarter of the duration of a semibreve and half the duration of a minim

 Quaver/Eighth note

A quaver/eighth note is half the length of a crotchet and played for one eighth of the duration of a whole note (hence its other name).

A semiquaver/sixteenth note is half the length of a quaver and played for one sixteenth the duration of a whole note (hence its other name). Played in groups semiquavers sound fairly fast because of their length.

Demisemiquaver/Thirty-second note

A demisemiquaver/thirty-second note is half the length of a semiquaver and  played for 1/32 of the duration of a whole note (hence its other name). Played in groups demisemiquavers (and all others shorter in length than it) sound verly fast because of their length.

Hemidemisemiquaver/Sixty-fouth note

A hemidemisemiquaver/sixty-fourth note is half the length of a demisemiquaver and is played for 1/64 of the duration of a semibreve/whole note. 

Beamed notes

A beam connects quavers and notes of shorter value. In metered music, beams reflect the rhythmic grouping of notes shorter than a crotchet.

Dotted note

A dotted note's dot increases the duration of the note by half of its original value, e.g. a dotted crotchet (like  the picture to the left) will be equal to 3 quavers as the dot represents the extra quaver (quavers being half of a crotchet).

Breve rest/Double Whole rest

A breve rest/double whole rest is the length of a semibreve rest (4 beats in a bar). Because a breve itself lasts longer than a bar, that and the breve rest are rarely found in music now.

Semibreve rest/Whole rest

A semibreve rest/whole rest is equal to 4 beats in a bar

Minim rest/Half rest

A minim rest/half rest is half the length of a semibreve rest, therefore is worth 2 beats in a bar

 Crotchet rest/Quarter rest

A crotchet rest is half the length of a minim rest and a quarter of the length of a semibreve/whole note rest (hence its other name).

 Quaver rest/Eighth rest

A quaver rest/eight rest is half the length of a crotchet rest and an eighth of the length of a semibreve/whole note rest (hence its other name). This rest (and all other rests shorter than this) tends to sound like a short gap whether on its own or between notes.

A semiquaver rest/sixteenth rest is half the length of a quaver rest and one sixteenth of the length of a semibreve/whole note rest

Demisemiquaver/Thirty-second rest

A demisemiquaver rest/thirty-second rest is half the length of a semiquaver rest and 1/32 of the length of a semibreve/whole note rest

Hemidemisemiquaver/Sixty-fouth rest

A hemidemisemiquaver  /Sixty-fouth rest is half the length of a demisemiquaver and 1/64 of the length of a semibreve/whole note rest

Multi-measure rest

A multi-measure rest indicates the number of measures in a resting part without a change in meter, used to conserve space and to simplify notation. Also called "gathered rest" or "multi-bar rest".