What the dot next to a note means
A dot to the right of a note makes its length one and a half times longer — it adds half. A dotted half lasts 3 beats (2 + 1), a dotted quarter — 1½ beats (1 + ½), a dotted eighth — ¾ of a beat.
| Note | Without a dot | With a dot |
|---|---|---|
| Half | 2 | 3 |
| Quarter | 1 | 1½ |
| Eighth | ½ | ¾ |
Dotted rhythm
Dotted rhythm is the “long — short” rhythm: a dotted note and a short note after it. It makes a melody springy and “hopping”. Dotted rhythm is heard in “Happy Birthday”, “Oh! Susanna”, “Silent Night” and many marches. The main mistake is to play both notes the same. Hold the long note longer, and play the short one like a little “hop” to the next one.
Sixteenth notes
Sixteenth notes are four times shorter than a quarter: four notes fall on one beat. To play them clearly you need light work of the tongue. “Du-du-du-du” is fine for a start, and at fast tempo recorder players use double tonguing “tu-ku-tu-ku”.
How to learn fast passages
- Play slowly — twice as slow as needed.
- Break the hard passage into pieces of 3–4 notes.
- Speed up gradually, only when it works slowly without mistakes.
In the game there is a “Study” mode for this: the notes wait until you play correctly.