Dotted notes and ties explained for kids

A dot after a note makes the note longer by half of its own value. A tie is a curved line that joins two notes of the same pitch into one longer sound. Both do the same job: they make note lengths that the plain notes cannot show.

What the dot adds

Take the value of the note. Add half of it.

Dotted note	The sum	Beats in 4/4 time
Dotted whole note	4 + 2	6
Dotted half note	2 + 1	3
Dotted quarter note	1 + a half	1 and a half
Dotted eighth note	A half + a quarter	Three quarters of a beat

A rest can have a dot too. A dotted half rest lasts three beats.

Read note values explained.

The dotted half note

This is often the first dotted note a child meets. It fills a whole measure of 3/4 time. Count “1, 2, 3” and hold the note through all three.

Waltz tunes often use dotted half notes. Read time signatures explained.

The dotted quarter note

A dotted quarter note lasts one and a half beats. An eighth note often follows it, and the two fill two beats: long, then short.

To count it, say “1, 2, and.” Play the dotted quarter on “1.” Hold it through “2.” Play the eighth note on “and.”

Songs that start with this rhythm:

• “London Bridge.” “Lon” is long, and “don” is short.
• “Silent Night.” “Si” is long, and the next sound is short.
• “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” on the words “’tis of.” The same tune is “God Save the King.”

Some teachers call this pair “tam-ti.” Read rhythm names: ta and ti-ti explained.

The dotted eighth note

A dotted eighth note with a sixteenth note makes a skipping rhythm: long, short, long, short. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” skips this way from its first words.

Where the dot goes

A dot beside a note makes it longer. A dot above or below a note is a staccato mark, which makes it short. They look alike and mean opposite things. Read staccato and legato explained.

Ties

A tie joins two notes on the same line or space. The player plays the first note and holds it for the length of both. The second note is not played again.

Ties are used in two places:

• Across a bar line. A note that needs to last past the end of a measure is tied to a note in the next one.
• For lengths no single note can show. A whole note tied to a quarter note lasts five beats.

To count a tie, add the two values. A half note tied to a quarter note lasts 2 + 1, which is three beats. A dotted half note lasts three beats too. Inside one measure, composers often use the dot. Across a bar line, they need the tie.

Tie or slur?

The two marks are both curved lines.

	Tie	Slur
Joins	Two notes of the same pitch	Two or more different notes
Means	Hold, and do not play the second note	Play the notes joined, with no gaps

Check the notes at each end of the curve. Same line or space: tie. Different: slur. Read slurs and ties: how to tell them apart.

Dotted notes in 6/8 time

In 6/8 time, the beat is a dotted quarter note. Each beat splits into three eighth notes. A measure has two of these beats, so the count is “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” with a lean on 1 and 4.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the dotted note short. Count the extra half out loud.
• Playing the tied note again. Say “hold” on the second note.
• Rushing the short note. In “long, short,” the short note comes late. Wait for it.
• Reading a staccato dot as a dotted note.

Games to play

Step and hold. Walk the rhythm of “London Bridge.” Take a long step on the long notes and a quick step on the short ones.

Dot math. Write a note with a dot. Your child says how many beats it lasts. Start with the dotted half note.

Tie it. Write two quarter notes on the same line, and join them with a tie. Clap once and hold. Then write them with no tie, and clap twice.

Long, short. Clap four even quarter notes. Then clap “long, short, long, short” at the same speed. Ask which sounds like skipping.

Dot or no dot? Clap a rhythm with a dotted quarter note or without. Your child calls “dot” or “no dot.”

Print and play

Check values on the note values chart. Keep the beat with the metronome for kids. For bars and beats, read measures and bar lines explained. For more games, read rhythm games for kids.