Sixteenth note

What it is

A sixteenth note is a rhythmic value that divides a quarter note into four equal parts. In common 4/4 time, one beat is often a quarter note, so four sixteenth notes fit inside one beat.

If the quarter-note pulse is counted as 1 2 3 4, the sixteenth-note subdivision fills in the smaller spaces between those beats. This makes sixteenth notes useful for faster rhythms, drum grooves, bass lines, strumming patterns, keyboard parts, and melodic runs.

A sixteenth note is a note value, not a tempo. At 60 BPM, four sixteenth notes per beat are fairly manageable. At 140 BPM, the same written sixteenth notes are much faster because the beat itself is faster.

How to count it

The most common way to count sixteenth notes in 4/4 is:

1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a

Each beat has four equal slots:

• 1 is the beat.
• e is the second sixteenth-note slot.
• and is halfway between beats, the same place an eighth note would land. It is also the third sixteenth-note slot.
• a is the fourth sixteenth-note slot, just before the next beat.

For one beat of sixteenth notes, count:

1 e and a

For two beats, count:

1 e and a 2 e and a

When a rhythm uses only some of the sixteenth-note slots, the count still helps you place the notes accurately. For example, notes on 1 and a feel very different from notes on 1 and and.

How it feels

Sixteenth notes create a finer grid inside the beat. If quarter notes are the main pulse and eighth notes split each beat in half, sixteenth notes split each beat into four even parts.

In a groove, sixteenth notes can feel driving, tight, busy, funky, or smooth depending on the tempo, accents, and spacing. Funk hi-hat parts, dance music patterns, muted guitar strumming, and programmed drum parts often use a clear sixteenth-note grid.

A guitarist might strum sixteenth notes but accent only certain strokes, such as:

1 e AND a 2 e AND a 3 e AND a 4 e AND a

Here, the and accents can make the part feel more energetic without changing the tempo.

The important idea is that the beat stays steady. Sixteenth notes do not replace the pulse; they subdivide it.

Where it appears

Sixteenth notes appear in many styles and playing situations. Drummers use them in hi-hat patterns, snare fills, ghost notes, and funk grooves. Guitarists use them in strumming, muted picking, metal riffs, funk comping, and rhythmic lead lines. Bassists use them for syncopated lines and quick passing notes. Pianists and producers use them in arpeggios, ostinatos, sequencer patterns, and drum programming.

In notation, sixteenth notes may appear as individual notes or beamed together in groups. In 4/4, a full beat of four sixteenth notes is often beamed together to show that they belong to the same beat.

Sixteenth notes can also be used with rests. A sixteenth rest takes up one sixteenth-note slot. For example, a sixteenth rest on 1 followed by a note on e creates a small syncopated push just after the beat. Counting through the rests is just as important as counting the notes.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the middle of the beat: Many players play 1 e and a unevenly, especially when moving from eighth notes to sixteenth notes.
• Confusing sixteenth notes with tempo: Sixteenth notes are a subdivision. They get faster or slower depending on the tempo of the beat.
• Losing the main pulse: Fast subdivisions should still connect to the beat. If you cannot feel 1 2 3 4, the sixteenths may drift.
• Accent overload: Playing every sixteenth note equally loud can sound stiff. Many grooves rely on selected accents and lighter notes.
• Mixing up sixteenth notes and straight sixteenths: A sixteenth note is the note value. Straight sixteenths describe an even, unswung way of playing sixteenth-note subdivisions. Some music uses swung or shuffled sixteenth feels, where the spacing is intentionally uneven.

Practice with a metronome

1. Set the metronome to 70 BPM with the click on quarter notes. Count 1 2 3 4 out loud.
2. Keep the same click and clap four sixteenth notes per beat while saying 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a.
3. Accent only the numbered beats: 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a.
4. Accent only the and of each beat: 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a.
5. Clap only the a of each beat while still counting all the subdivisions out loud. This trains placement just before the next beat.
6. For a harder version, set the metronome to click only on beats 2 and 4. Keep the sixteenth-note grid steady without speeding up.

If the pattern gets uneven, slow down. Clean sixteenth notes at 60 BPM are more useful than tense, uneven sixteenths at 120 BPM.