Dotted Note with the Longest Duration
The dotted note with the longest duration in modern music notation is the dotted whole note (also called a dotted semibreve).
- A whole note (semibreve) is the note with the longest standard duration in modern music, typically lasting four beats
- When a dot is added to a whole note, it increases the duration by half its value, making a dotted whole note last for six beats (4 + 2 = 6)
Summary Table of Common Dotted Notes
Note Type| Undotted Value (beats)| Dotted Value (beats)
---|---|---
Whole (Semibreve)| 4| 6
Half (Minim)| 2| 3
Quarter (Crotchet)| 1| 1.5
Eighth (Quaver)| 0.5| 0.75
Sixteenth (Semiquaver)| 0.25| 0.375
Rare and Historical Context
- In historical or less common contexts, longer note values such as the breve (double whole note), longa , or maxima can be dotted, resulting in even longer durations
. However, these are rarely used in modern compositions.
- Multiple dots (double, triple, quadruple) can further increase the duration, but a dotted whole note remains the longest dotted note in standard modern usage
Conclusion:
The dotted whole note (dotted semibreve) is the dotted note with the longest
duration in modern music, lasting six beats in common time
