hi :-\

i am trying to learn how to play violin but i am having some difficulty with distinguishing the difference between certain notes ... i.e. what is the difference between a note with a dot beneath it and a note with a dot on the right side of it??? as far as i was told that a dot beneath a note makes it shorter, but what does the one on the right side of it do??

i am trying to play minuet 3 by J.S. Bach (from suzuki book 1)and i came across to these notes and i dont want to play them wrong... unfortunately i dont have a teacher, so it makes things even harder for me ...

i would appreciate your help ...

oscar

If there is a dot on the right side it`s called dotted half note,you hold it out for 3 counts.The dot underneath the note is called a staccato.

Oscar,

Don`t worry, man. It`s a phase everyone goes through when learning to read music. I`ll answer your questions as best I can:

- A dot beside the notehead adds half the length of the original note. For example, a quarter note is worth 2 eighth notes, and a dotted quarter note is worth 3 eighth notes, or 6 sixteenth notes. Each additional dot on the note adds half of the length previously added. For example, a double-dotted quarter note is worth 7 sixteenth notes, or 3.5 eighth notes.

- A dot under the notehead indicates stacatto. In simplest terms, this reduces the length of the note by half. However, this may vary depending on the tempo, or the style of the music you`re playing.

Also, I would strongly recommend that you start taking private lessons. You need to learn from someone who is experienced in reading music, and playing the violin to teach you the right way. This initial mentorship will benefit you in many ways as you advance in your playing.

Hope that was helpful.

Thomas

i am haveing trouble too with the dreidel hhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllppppppppppppppppppppp.