Rhythmic dictation
Rhythmic dictation is hearing a rhythm and writing it down with note values: quarter notes, eighth notes, rests. It trains your ear and your reading at the same time. Here the metronome counts one bar, the rhythm plays over the beat and you build the bar by tapping the note values. The correction compares the sound, beat by beat.
Your best score is saved on this device only.
On a computer: keys 1–3 answer, R replays the sound and Enter goes to the next one.
- 1
- 2
- 3
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- 10
Build the rhythm you heard
Tap the note values in the order you heard them.
The rhythm played
How to do the rhythmic dictation
- The metronome counts a full bar before the rhythm: use the count-in to feel the beat.
- Listen to the rhythm and think beat by beat: on each beat, how many notes sounded, and where?
- Tap the note values in order. If you slip, “Delete the last one” undoes it.
- With the bar complete, tap Check. Different beats are marked and the right rhythm plays again.
The note values in the dictation
| Symbol | Name | Takes | How it sounds in the beat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter note | 1 beat | One note on each beat | |
| Two eighth notes | 1 beat | Two even notes | |
| Quarter rest | 1 beat | Silence for one beat | |
| Half note | 2 beats | One long note, two beats | |
| Four sixteenth notes | 1 beat | Four quick, even notes | |
| Eighth and two sixteenths | 1 beat | Long, short, short | |
| Two sixteenths and an eighth | 1 beat | Short, short, long | |
| Eighth rest and eighth note | 1 beat | The note falls in the middle of the beat, on the “and” | |
| Eighth-note triplet | 1 beat | Three even notes in one beat | |
| Dotted eighth and sixteenth | 1 beat | Long and short, like a gallop |
Rhythmic dictation FAQ
What is rhythmic dictation?
It’s hearing a rhythm and writing it down with note values. In music school the teacher claps it; here the site plays the rhythm on a single note, over the metronome, and you build the bar with note values.
Why are a half note and a quarter note plus rest different answers?
Because they sound different: the half note keeps ringing for two beats; the quarter note followed by a rest sounds for one beat and is silent on the next. Pay attention to when the note ends, not just when it starts.
What is an offbeat?
It’s a note that falls in the middle of the beat, between two metronome clicks (the “and” of “1 and 2 and”). It’s written as an eighth rest followed by an eighth note.
Which tempo should I use?
Start at 60 or 80 BPM. A slow tempo isn’t easier for everyone: at the levels with sixteenth notes, 80 is usually the sweet spot. Move up to 100 once you’re getting it right.