In music, a beat is a basic unit of time. Beats are grouped together to form measures or bars. The time signature of a piece of music tells you how many beats are in each measure. For example, a time signature of 4/4 means there are 4 beats per measure. An 8th note is a musical note that lasts half as long as a quarter note. So how many 8th notes can fit into a single beat? Let’s take a closer look.
The Length of Different Note Values
To understand how many 8th notes are in a beat, we first need to understand the different note values in music. Here are some of the most common note values:
| Note Value | Length Relative to a Whole Note |
|---|---|
| Whole Note | 1 (four beats) |
| Half Note | 1/2 (two beats) |
| Quarter Note | 1/4 (one beat) |
| Eighth Note | 1/8 (half a beat) |
| Sixteenth Note | 1/16 (a quarter of a beat) |
So as you can see, an 8th note lasts for half of a beat. This means it takes two 8th notes to fill a complete beat.
The Time Signature
Now that we know an 8th note is half of a beat, the next thing to look at is how many beats are in each measure. This is where the time signature comes in. Let’s look at two common time signatures:
4/4 Time
When the time signature is 4/4, that means there are 4 beats per measure. Since an 8th note is half a beat, we can fit two 8th notes into each of the four beats:
Beat 1: 8th Note, 8th Note
Beat 2: 8th Note, 8th Note
Beat 3: 8th Note, 8th Note
Beat 4: 8th Note, 8th Note
So in 4/4 time, there are 8 8th notes in a measure.
3/4 Time
When the time signature is 3/4, there are only 3 beats per measure. Using the same logic as above:
Beat 1: 8th Note, 8th Note
Beat 2: 8th Note, 8th Note
Beat 3: 8th Note, 8th Note
In 3/4 time, there are 6 8th notes per measure.
Counting 8th Notes
When counting 8th notes, we count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” in 4/4 time. The numbers represent the beats and the “&” represents the 8th notes in between each beat.
So the counting for one measure of 8th notes in 4/4 would be:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
In 3/4 time, we would count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 &
Being able to count 8th notes correctly is an important musical skill, especially for keeping rhythm accurately.
8th Note Rhythms
Now that we know how many 8th notes are in a beat, let’s look at some example 8th note rhythms:
Rhythm #1 (4/4 time)
8th 8th Quarter 8th Rest 8th 8th 8th Quarter
This rhythm fills up the 4 beats in a 4/4 measure. It uses 8 8th notes total – 2 per beat.
Rhythm #2 (3/4 time)
Quarter 8th Rest 8th 8th 8th Quarter
This 3/4 rhythm uses 6 total 8th notes.
Rhythm #3 (4/4 time)
8th Rest 8th 8th 8th 8th Quarter Quarter Quarter
Another 4/4 rhythm, again with 8 total 8th notes.
Conclusion
To summarize:
- An 8th note is half of a beat
- In 4/4 time, there are 4 beats per measure
- In 4/4 time, there are 8 8th notes per measure
- In 3/4 time, there are 3 beats per measure
- In 3/4 time, there are 6 8th notes per measure
- Understanding note values and time signatures allows you to determine how many 8th notes fit in a beat or measure
- Counting 8th notes properly is an important rhythmic skill
So in 4/4 time, there are 2 8th notes per beat, while in 3/4 time there are still 2 per beat. The number of beats per measure is what determines how many total 8th notes are contained in each measure. I hope this explanation helps break down this musical concept in an easy-to-understand way!
Additional Questions
What are some other common time signatures?
Here are some other time signatures you may encounter:
- 2/4 – 2 beats per measure
- 6/8 – 6 beats per measure (but the beats are 8th note beats instead of quarter note beats)
- 5/4 – 5 beats per measure
- 7/8 – 7 beats per measure
The top number always tells you how many beats are in each measure. The bottom number tells you what note value gets one beat. 4 = quarter note, 8 = 8th note, etc.
What are tuplets?
Tuplets are irregular groupings of notes that don’t fit the regular beat divisions. Some examples:
- Triplet – 3 notes played in the space of 2.
- Quintuplet – 5 notes played in the space of 4.
- Septuplet – 7 notes played in the space of 8.
Tuplets allow you to divide up the beats in unusual ways outside of the time signature. They create complex, syncopated rhythms.
What is syncopation?
Syncopation is when the rhythm emphasizes the weak beats or weak parts of beats. Syncopated rhythms create a sense of surprise and complexity. Some examples of syncopation include:
- Starting a melody on an offbeat 8th note instead of on the downbeat
- Putting rests on downbeats and playing notes on the upbeats
- Accenting the “and”s instead of the main beats
Syncopation is often used in many types of music including jazz, funk, Latin, and pop to create energetic, driving rhythms.
What is polyrhythm?
Polyrhythm occurs when two or more different rhythms are played at the same time in a piece of music. For example, the right hand could be playing steady 8th notes while the left hand plays a syncopated pattern. The interplay between the contrasting rhythms creates an intricate, layered texture.
In a polyrhythmic texture, at least one of the rhythms does not conform to the main beat or meter of the music. The rhythms might share a common pulsation but accent different parts of the beat at different times. Polyrhythms are a hallmark of sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic musical traditions.
Try This Rhythm Exercise
Here is a rhythmic exercise you can try to practice counting and performing 8th note rhythms.
In 4/4 time:
8th 8th 8th Rest 8th 8th 8th 8th Quarter Quarter 8th 8th Rest Quarter 8th
Count it slowly at first, then speed up the tempo. Can you tap or clap the rhythm accurately? Being able to internalize 8th note rhythms takes practice, so try some variations on your own!