Dotted Eighth Note lasts how many beats?

Dotted Eighth Note lasts how many beats?

• A. One beat
• B. Half a beat
• C. Three quarters of a beat
• D. Three eighths of a beat

Answer: (D)

In rhythm notation, a dot adds half the value of the note it follows. An eighth note is worth half a beat in common time, so a dotted eighth adds another quarter of a beat. That gives 0.5 + 0.25 = 0.75 beat total. You can also count it as the duration of three sixteenth notes, which equals three-quarters of a beat. So the dotted eighth note lasts three quarters of a beat. The option describing three eighths of a beat would imply a longer duration (1.5 beats), so it isn’t correct.

In rhythm notation, a dot adds half the value of the note it follows. An eighth note is worth half a beat in common time, so a dotted eighth adds another quarter of a beat. That gives 0.5 + 0.25 = 0.75 beat total. You can also count it as the duration of three sixteenth notes, which equals three-quarters of a beat. So the dotted eighth note lasts three quarters of a beat. The option describing three eighths of a beat would imply a longer duration (1.5 beats), so it isn’t correct.