Eighth note

What it is

An eighth note is a note value that lasts for half the length of a quarter note. In common notation, two eighth notes fit into one quarter-note beat, four fit into a half note, and eight fit into a whole note.

In 4/4 time, if the quarter note is the main beat, eighth notes divide each beat into two equal parts. That makes them one of the first and most useful subdivisions musicians learn.

The important idea is this: an eighth note is not automatically the beat. It is a rhythmic value. Whether it feels like the beat or the subdivision depends on the meter, tempo, and musical style.

How to count it

In 4/4, eighth notes are commonly counted:

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

The numbers land on the main quarter-note beats. The word "and" lands halfway between the beats.

If you clap steady eighth notes in 4/4, you clap on every number and every "and." If you clap only the quarter notes, you clap on the numbers: 1 2 3 4.

This is why eighth notes are often used to teach subdivision: they show exactly where the halfway point between beats is.

How it feels

Straight eighth notes feel even: the space from "1" to "and" is the same as the space from "and" to "2." A simple way to feel them is to tap your foot on the numbers while clapping both the numbers and the "ands."

In many rock, pop, funk, country, folk, and electronic grooves, eighth notes create a steady forward motion. A guitarist might strum down-up eighth notes. A bassist might play eighth-note roots. A drummer might play eighth notes on the hi-hat while the kick and snare define the groove.

Eighth notes can also feel different depending on the style. In swing or shuffle feels, written eighth notes are often performed unevenly. That does not mean every swing eighth is an exact triplet ratio; the spacing changes with tempo, style, and performer.

Where it appears

Eighth notes appear almost everywhere: melodies, bass lines, drum patterns, strumming patterns, piano accompaniment, vocal rhythms, and horn lines.

In 4/4, a basic rock drum groove might have eighth notes on the hi-hat:

Hi-hat: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

Snare: beats 2 and 4

Kick: beats 1 and 3

In 6/8, eighth notes often make up the six written subdivisions of the bar:

1 2 3 4 5 6

But the felt pulse may be two larger beats, often counted as dotted-quarter pulses:

1 and a 2 and a

So the same written value can play different musical roles in different meters.

Common mistakes

• Thinking eighth notes are always the beat. In 4/4 they are usually subdivisions of the quarter-note beat. In some meters or tempos, they may feel closer to the main pulse.
• Rushing the "and." Beginners often place the offbeat too close to the next number. The "and" should sit halfway between beats in straight eighths.
• Confusing eighth notes with sixteenth notes. Eighth notes divide a quarter note into two parts: "1 and." Sixteenth notes divide it into four parts: "1 e and a."
• Confusing straight eighths with swing eighths. Straight eighths are evenly spaced. Swing eighths are performed with a long-short feel that varies by style.
• Ignoring accents. A line of eighth notes is not automatically flat. Accenting beats 2 and 4, the offbeats, or the start of each group can completely change the groove.

Practice with a metronome

1. Set the metronome to a comfortable tempo, such as 70 bpm. Let each click be a quarter-note beat.
2. Count aloud: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Keep the numbers with the click.
3. Clap on every number and every "and." Aim for equal spacing between all claps.
4. Now tap your foot only on the numbers while clapping all eighth notes. This separates the beat from the subdivision.
5. Accent only the numbers: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.
6. Then accent only the offbeats: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. This is useful for funk, reggae, ska, disco, and many syncopated styles.
7. For a harder version, set the metronome to click only on beats 2 and 4. Keep counting all eighth notes without letting the offbeats drift.