Meaning & use
quaver semiquaver
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseBritishmusic
Two British note names: a quaver lasts half a beat, and a semiquaver lasts half of that.
Grammar: Used as a pair when naming or comparing the two shortest common note values.
Patterns
- a quaver and a semiquaver
- quavers and semiquavers
In 4/4 time, a quaver lasts half a beat and a semiquaver lasts a quarter of a beat.
The melody moves from quavers to semiquavers in the last bar.
She counted the semiquavers slowly while learning the passage.
phrasefixed phraseBritishmusicAmerican
A pair of note values in British music notation that American English calls an eighth note and a sixteenth note.
Grammar: American speakers say 'eighth note' and 'sixteenth note' instead.
Patterns
- quaver and semiquaver notation
British scores use quaver and semiquaver symbols, while American scores say eighth and sixteenth notes.
The teacher translated quaver and semiquaver into eighth note and sixteenth note for the exchange student.
Common combinations
- a dotted quaver
- A dotted quaver lasts three quarters of a beat.
- a pair of semiquavers
- The pianist played a pair of semiquavers as one quick unit.
- quaver rests
- The bar begins with two quaver rests.
- semiquaver runs
- Fast semiquaver runs filled the final page.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eighth note
- This is the American name for a quaver, preferred in US music teaching.
- sixteenth note
- This is the American name for a semiquaver, used in US scores.
Word family
- quaver noun
- A note lasting half a beat in British notation.
- semiquaver noun
- A note lasting a quarter of a beat in British notation.
- demisemiquaver noun
- A note lasting half as long as a semiquaver.
Commonly confused: quaver semiquaver or crotchet? quaver semiquaver or quarter note?
quaver semiquaver vs crotchet
A crotchet is a one-beat note in British notation, so it is longer than a quaver, not shorter.
quaver semiquaver vs quarter note
This American term means a crotchet, not a quaver; the names look similar but describe different lengths.
Practice
In British music notation, which note is shorter than a quaver?
Choose one answer.
A semiquaver lasts half as long as a quaver, so it is shorter. A crotchet and a minim are both longer than a quaver, and a breve is much longer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quaver semiquaver”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.