What does a dot (.) added to a note do?

You'd call up that finding a dot in music could be just one elementary answer.  And while the respond is simple, at that place is more than i answer!  So depending on where you find the dot in your music, you will have a different respond.  Let's take a look at what you may exist seeing:

• Staccato: if the dot is above or below the annotation

• Dotted Note:if the dot is next to a note

• Dotted Residual:if the dot is next to a rest

• Double Dotted: if there is more than i dot later on a note or balance

• Fermata: if the dot is nether a half circle

Staccato

If the dot is either above or beneath the note, then it is chosen staccato.  It is what nosotros telephone call, an articulation.  What that means is merely,how you play it.  It doesn't touch anything but the fashion yous play the note.  For staccato, you play the note "short" or "quick".  Yous demand to sympathise, though, that it does Non change how fast or slow y'all play the note, merely that it sounds brusque.

The reverse of staccato is legato.  Legato means to play information technology smooth.  It is easier to understand staccato when you can empathize legato.  You want to play staccato the reverse of smooth.

When I am introducing staccato to my students, I similar to say staccato like so, "stuh – caw – toe".  It helps to recall to play it like information technology sounds, short and choppy.

Staccato can be shown being written either above the annotation or below the notation.  They are one and the same meaning regardless of it is on top or beneath the note.  They write the dot above the notation if the stem is pointing down.  The dot is below the note when the stem is pointing upwardly.

Dotted Notes and Rests

There is a Big difference that occurs if the dot is writtennextto a note versus on meridian or beneath a note.  While staccato determineshowy'all play the note, a dot side by side to a notation determines how long you play the notation.  A dot determines the rhythm of a note.

What's so cool about the dot after a note or a balance, is that it can be used on any note or residue.  You can detect a dot after any residuum, or after whatever notation.  The most common notes/rests that you find a dot after are later a quarter note/rest, or a half note/rest.

The dot can seem very disruptive, but in reality information technology actually isn't.  Information technology just has 1 rule to remember with information technology!  And so don't forget it:

The dot is worth half of whatever the annotation or rest is.  Information technology's equally uncomplicated as that.

Let's have a quarter note for instance.  A quarter note is worth 1 count.  And so the dot later on that is worth half of the annotation in forepart of it, and since that is i, the dot is worth ane/2.  Since the quarter notation is worth one and the dot is worth 1/2, a dotted quarter note is worth ane and 1/2 counts.

The same applies for all of the notes and rests.  The dot is just half of any the note/rest in forepart of information technology is.  Then add the note/rest with the dot to find the full amount it is worth.

Double Dotted Notes and Rests

Since you already know the dominion for the dot, and then yous can easily effigy out any amount of dots you may observe in your music.  The aforementioned rule applies:

The dot is worth half of whatsoever the note or rest or dot that is in forepart of information technology.

Check this out.

The quarter notation is worth 1 count, the dot after that is worth 1/2 of 1, and the dot after that is worth 1/2 of ane/two, or one/4.  Add those together and in total, it is worth 1 and 3/4 count.

The whole rest is worth four, the dot after the whole balance is worth 1/ii of 4, so 2.  The dot later the dot is worth 1/ii of 2, and so ane.  Add iv+two+1 = 7 counts.

You lot tin continue to add together as many dots as you desire.  Although y'all really don't meet double dots much unless you are getting into advanced music playing.

Fermata

Lastly, you may exist looking at a dot under a half circumvolve.  This is what my students telephone call a bird'south eye.  They tin never seem to remember the word, fermata, merely by golly they sure remember to call information technology a bird's heart!

A fermata can be institute to a higher place a annotation or a rest.

It simply means to concur out the note as long equally y'all want to.  You, as the player or singer, can hold it as long every bit deems you lot good.

Sometimes, I take students that don't like to hold it at all.  They merely skim right over it.  I wouldn't suggest that, since it is the composer's idea to hold it for some type of length of time.  Simply neither practice I suggest property it forever and always.  Sometimes it just depends on the context and where you lot can discover it in the music.

No thing what kind of dot you institute in your music, y'all should have a articulate idea of what to exercise with it now!

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PianoTels

Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, pianoforte education, and piano playing, she loves a take chances to fit in a skilful exercise class, volunteer at her kids' school and at her church building, and go along long dates with her married man. Full bio at Near Tel.

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