Printable Rhythm and Note Values Chart
Rhythm is half of music, and reading it is easier than it looks. This chart shows each note and rest, how many beats it lasts in 4/4, and how to count it out loud ("1 e & a"). It also covers dotted notes, ties and triplets.
Free. Enter your name and email once to unlock all 80 printables.Unlocked on this device: downloads start straight away.
What’s inside
- Notes and rests from whole to sixteenth
- How many beats each one lasts
- How to count each rhythm out loud
- Dotted notes, ties and triplets
How to use it
- Print it and keep it with your practice notes.
- Read one section at a time and try each idea on the guitar straight away.
- Use it as a quick reference whenever you learn a new song.
Learn it step by step, free
Fretwork turns sheets like this into short daily lessons with audio, a play-along and a quick check for every skill. Stages 0 and 1 are free.
Questions
How many beats is a quarter note?
One beat in 4/4 time. A half note is two beats, a whole note four, an eighth note half a beat and a sixteenth note a quarter of a beat.
What does a dot after a note do?
It adds half of the note's value. A dotted half note is 2 + 1 = 3 beats; a dotted quarter is 1 + ½ = 1½ beats.
Is this printable really free?
Yes. Enter your first name and email once and every Fretwork printable unlocks on your device. There is nothing to pay and no card needed.
Can I share it with students or friends?
Yes, for personal and classroom use. Please share the link to this page rather than the PDF file, so everyone gets the latest version.
Free for classroom use. Linking to this page keeps your students on the latest version.
More theory cheat sheets
How to Read Chord Diagrams
A labeled chord diagram, the same chord on the guitar and in tab, and how to read barre and fret-number diagrams.
1 page · PDFFree →
Guitar Music Theory Cheat Sheet
The musical alphabet, the major scale formula, how chords are built and the chords of a key, on one page.
1 page · PDFFree →
Circle of Fifths Chart for Guitar
All 12 major keys, their relative minors and key signatures, with how guitarists use it.
1 page · PDFFree →
Chords in Every Key Chart
The seven chords of all 12 major keys, with Roman numerals and relative minors.
1 page · PDFFree →