The Semibreve, can of course be
subdivided, and these subdivisions have different names.
In British nomenclature for example, we speak of minims, Crotchets, Quavers, etc.
There are two minims per Semibreve.
This is also known as the half note in American parlance.
This is then subdivided into two crotchets.
Crotchets are Quarter notes in the U.S., and there are four quarter
notes in a Whole Note or a Semibreve, as you might imagine.
Crotchets are then further divided into Quavers, Eighth Notes, and
on into Semiquavers, Sixteenth Notes, and so on and so forth.
So, if you use the American nomenclature, which is derived
from the German by the way, it's very easy to see
how many of a particular rhythm you will have in a
whole note, as all rhythms are expressed in relation to this.
So, let's just recap here and look at the actual notation of these rhythms.
First of all, we've got the open round
note symbol, which is the Semibreve or whole note.
This is four beats long in common time,
or four, four meter, again more on this later.
Then we've the half note or minim, the crotchet, the quaver and the semiquaver.
We also have the equivalent rhythms in rests.
Rests are necessary to indicate where a musician stops playing notes.
Most music consists of notes surrounded by space, of course.
Otherwise, musicians would never get the change to
breathe or rest, and neither would the music.
So, first of all, again, the semibreve, or whole note rest.
The minim, or half note rest, the crotchet, or quarter note rest.
The quaver, eighth note rest, and the semiquaver, or sixteenth note rest.
