A dotted rhythm is a note with a dot after it, and the dot adds half the value of the note, so a dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats, and a dotted half note lasts for three beats. Dotted rhythms are used to make a rhythm lilting and flowing, instead of square and even.
What are dotted rhythms?
A dotted rhythm is a note with a dot after it, and the dot adds half the value of the note, so a dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats, and a dotted half note lasts for three beats, and a dotted eighth note lasts for three-quarters of a beat. Dotted rhythms are used to make a rhythm lilting and flowing, instead of square and even, because the dot makes the note longer, and the next note shorter, and the long-short pattern gives the rhythm its lilt. The dot is a simple rule: add half the value of the note, so a dotted quarter note, which is normally one beat, becomes one and a half beats, and a dotted half note, which is normally two beats, becomes three beats, and a dotted eighth note, which is normally half a beat, becomes three-quarters of a beat. The dotted note is usually followed by a shorter note, which fills the rest of the beat, so a dotted eighth note is followed by a sixteenth note, and the two together make one beat, with the long-short pattern. The G major guitar chord and the C major guitar chord are the chords most players first play dotted rhythms with, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How dotted rhythms work
A dotted rhythm works by making one note longer and the next note shorter, so the rhythm is long-short, long-short, instead of even. The dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats, and the eighth note that follows it lasts for half a beat, and the two together make two beats, with the long-short pattern. The dotted eighth note lasts for three-quarters of a beat, and the sixteenth note that follows it lasts for a quarter of a beat, and the two together make one beat, with the long-short pattern. The long-short pattern is the lilt, and the lilt is what makes the dotted rhythm feel flowing, instead of square. The dotted rhythm is used in many styles, and it is the rhythm of the dotted quarter note in 6/8 time, where the beat is a dotted quarter note, which lasts for three eighth notes, and the bar has two dotted quarter notes. The dotted note is also used in 4/4 time, where a dotted half note lasts for three beats, and the bar has a dotted half note and a quarter note, which together make four beats. The key of C major is the key most pieces are first read in, and the key of G major is the key most songs are first played in.
Worked example — a dotted quarter note in 4/4 time. A bar in 4/4 time has a dotted quarter note on beat one, which lasts for one and a half beats, and an eighth note on the and after beat two, which lasts for half a beat, and a quarter note on beat three, and a quarter note on beat four. The count is one, and, two, and, three, four, with the dotted quarter note starting on one and lasting until the and after two, and the eighth note starting on the and after two and lasting until three. The rhythm is long-short, with the dotted quarter note long and the eighth note short, and the feel is lilting, not square. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major can be played with dotted rhythms, and the count will change with the dots.
How to practise dotted rhythms
Practise dotted rhythms slowly, counting the dot, until the long-short pattern is natural, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Practise counting a dotted quarter note, one and two and, with the note lasting for one and a half beats, and the next note starting on the and after beat two.
- Practise strumming a G major chord with a dotted rhythm, down on beat one, and up on the and after beat two, and listen for the long-short pattern.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with dotted rhythms, and listen for the rhythm to feel lilting and flowing.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and count the dots out loud, until the long-short pattern is a habit.
- Practise clapping dotted rhythms, without the guitar, clapping the long note and the short note, until the rhythm feels natural in your body.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the dot — A dotted note lasts for one and a half times its value, and forgetting the dot will make the note too short, and the rhythm will be wrong. Count the dot, and add half the value, so the note lasts for the right length.
- Making the short note too long — A dotted rhythm is long-short, and making the short note too long will make the rhythm even, not lilting, and the lilt will be lost. Keep the short note short, and the long note long, so the pattern is clear.
- Counting the dot as a full beat — A dot adds half the value, not a full beat, so a dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats, not two. Count one and two and, with the dotted note lasting until the and after two, not until three.
Quick reference
This table shows the value of four notes, normal and dotted, so you can see the dot adding half the value in every row. The dot is a simple rule, add half, and the table shows the rule working for the whole note, the half note, the quarter note, and the eighth note.
| Note | Normal value | Dotted value |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | 4 beats | 6 beats |
| Half note | 2 beats | 3 beats |
| Quarter note | 1 beat | 1.5 beats |
| Eighth note | 0.5 beats | 0.75 beats |
Use the table to work out the value of any dotted note: find the note, add half its value, and the result is the dotted value. When you can work out any dotted note without looking, you can read any dotted rhythm, in any time signature, without mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
What are dotted rhythms?
A dotted rhythm is a note with a dot after it, and the dot adds half the value of the note, so a dotted quarter note lasts for one and a half beats, and a dotted half note lasts for three beats. Dotted rhythms make a rhythm lilting and flowing, instead of square and even.
How long is a dotted quarter note?
One and a half beats, because a quarter note is one beat, and the dot adds half the value, which is half a beat, so the dotted quarter note is one plus half, which is one and a half beats.
How long is a dotted half note?
Three beats, because a half note is two beats, and the dot adds half the value, which is one beat, so the dotted half note is two plus one, which is three beats.
How long is a dotted eighth note?
Three-quarters of a beat, because an eighth note is half a beat, and the dot adds half the value, which is a quarter of a beat, so the dotted eighth note is half plus a quarter, which is three-quarters of a beat.
What note usually follows a dotted note?
A shorter note, which fills the rest of the beat, so a dotted eighth note is followed by a sixteenth note, and the two together make one beat, with the long-short pattern, and a dotted quarter note is followed by an eighth note, and the two together make two beats.