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Lesson 6 - Dotted notes + fourth string notes D, E & F

DOTTED NOTES

Placing a dot after a note extends its duration by half its value. That means if a particular note lasts two beats, placing a dot after it, extends its duration by one more beat, making three beats in total. Extending a single beat note by adding a dot, results in a one and a half beat note.

Fig 6-1: Dotted notes are extended by half of the original note length

Try this exercise introducing dotted half notes. As the time signature is "three-four", a dotted half note will equal 3 beats and fill a whole bar or measure.

Fig 6-2: Dotted half notes

Listen


Fig 6-3 introduces the dotted quarter note. As the time signature is "four-four", the quarter note, which would equal one beat, will be extended to one and a half beats.

Fig 6-3: Dotted quarter notes

Listen


FOURTH STRING NOTES D, E & F

Fig 6-4: Fourth string notes: D E & F

The following example introduces the notes D, E & F as the first phrase of a well known melody. If you play it correctly, you'll almost certainly recognise it.

Fig 6-5: Fourth string notes melody

Listen


Reading exercise 5

This is the opening phrase of a well known classical melody from Swan Lake.

Listen


Reading exercise 6: Ode to Joy

This extended reading exercise is (with a few necessary modifications) a section of the famous melody Ode to Joy by Beethoven from his ninth symphony.
Listen

Further Practice
At this stage you should use 'pitch trainer' tool (default setting) in the section after lesson 15 to get practice playing and naming all of the notes that you've learned so far.