How to count sixteenth notes
Split every beat into four equal parts and say them out loud: “1 e & a, 2 e & a, 3 e & a, 4 e & a”, spoken “one ee and uh”. In 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, where the quarter note gets the beat, four sixteenth notes fill one beat, so each sixteenth gets one syllable. Every sixteenth-note rhythm is those same four slots with some notes held over or left out. If you can say the syllables evenly, you can count any of them.
- A sixteenth note has two flags, or two beams when it is grouped. Four of them make a quarter note, and sixteen fill a measure of 4/4.
- The number is the beat, “&” is exactly halfway, and “e” and “a” sit in between.
- Count the held syllables quietly and play only on the ones that have a note.
- Get it even at a slow tempo first. Speed is the last step.
The four slots in a beat
Picture one beat as a box cut into four equal slices. A sixteenth note fills one slice, an eighth note two, a dotted eighth three, and a quarter note the whole box.
The syllables name the slices: the number on the first, “e” on the second, “&” on the third, “a” on the fourth. Tap your foot only on the numbers. Count a measure of 4/4 with no notes at all and you should hear sixteen even syllables over four even taps.
Some teachers use “1 ee & da” or the syllables ta-ka-di-mi instead. Use whatever your teacher uses. The slices are the same.
The patterns you will meet
Almost every beat with sixteenths in it is one of these. A syllable in parentheses is counted but not played.
- Four sixteenths. 1 e & a. A note on every syllable.
- Eighth, two sixteenths (the gallop). 1 (e) & a. The eighth note holds through “e”.
- Two sixteenths, eighth (the reverse gallop). 1 e & (a). The eighth starts on “&” and holds through “a”.
- Sixteenth, eighth, sixteenth. 1 e (&) a. The eighth starts on “e” and holds through “&”, so the last note lands on “a”. This one is syncopated, and it is the one most people rush.
- Dotted eighth, sixteenth. 1 (e &) a. The long note takes three slices and the short one lands on “a”. More in dotted notes and ties.
- Sixteenth rest, three sixteenths. (1) e & a. Silence on the beat, then three notes. Common in band parts, and easy to start too early.
A worked example
Say a measure of 4/4 has four sixteenths on beat 1, a gallop on beat 2, a quarter note on beat 3 and a reverse gallop on beat 4. Count all of it and play only the bold syllables:
1 e & a, 2 (e) & a, 3 (e & a), 4 e & (a)
That is eleven notes. Whispering the syllables in parentheses is the whole trick: it keeps every slice the same size even when nothing is played in it, which is exactly where people speed up.
Why sixteenths come out uneven
- The gallop turns into a triplet. Eighth-sixteenth-sixteenth gets played as three equal notes. The eighth is twice as long as each sixteenth, so keep the “(e)” in your count to give it room.
- Groups of four rush. The group ends early. Say all four syllables at the same volume with a metronome on the beat.
- The beat drifts after a long run. A full measure of sixteenths can pull you a slice ahead. Tap only on the numbers: the next number has to land on the tap.
- A rest on the beat gets skipped. With a sixteenth rest on 1, the first note belongs on “e”. Say the “1” first, then play.
A five-minute method
- Set a slow beatPut a metronome on 60 beats per minute. Each syllable is now a quarter of a second, slow enough to be exact.
- Speak the gridCount “1 e & a” for two full measures without playing. Every syllable the same length and volume.
- Speak the rhythmCount the measure again, saying the played syllables out loud and whispering the held ones.
- Clap it, then play itClap only the played syllables while you whisper the rest. Then play it on one note, then on the real notes.
- Speed up lastThree clean times in a row earns 4 to 6 more beats per minute. If it falls apart, go back to the last clean tempo.
Check it against the sound
Counting tells you where each note goes. Hearing it tells you whether you got it right. In Sheetly you photograph the page, loop the measure you are unsure about and slow it down until you can count along with the playhead. If a rhythm still makes no sense, ask the coach about it by measure number. It has read the notes on your page, so it counts your measure, not a textbook one.
Hear the measure you just counted.
Photograph the page, loop one measure, slow it down and count along with the playhead. Free to download on iPhone and iPad.
Free to download · iPhone and iPad · Android on the way
Questions
How do you count sixteenth notes?
Count sixteenth notes by dividing each beat into four equal syllables: 1 e & a, 2 e & a, and so on. In 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 each sixteenth note gets one syllable. Tap your foot on the numbers, say every syllable at the same length, and play only on the syllables that have a note.
How many sixteenth notes are in a beat?
When the quarter note gets the beat (2/4, 3/4 and 4/4), four sixteenth notes fill one beat and a measure of 4/4 holds sixteen. In cut time (2/2), where the half note gets the beat, eight sixteenths fill a beat. In 6/8, where the dotted quarter is the beat, six sixteenths fill a beat.
What is a gallop rhythm in music?
A gallop is an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes in one beat, counted 1 (e) & a: the eighth on the beat, held through “e”, then sixteenths on “&” and “a”. Two sixteenths followed by an eighth, counted 1 e & (a), is the reverse gallop. Both are often rushed into three even notes, which turns them into a triplet.
How do you count a sixteenth rest?
A sixteenth rest is one syllable of silence, counted but not played. With a sixteenth rest on the beat followed by three sixteenths, say “1” quietly and play on “e”, “&” and “a”. It looks like an eighth rest with two flags.