The Eighth Note

An eighth note is a musical symbol that indicates a note should be played for half the duration of a standard quarter note. In simple timing, if a quarter note gets one beat, an eighth note gets half a beat. When written, an eighth note is shown as a filled-in oval note head with a straight flag or beamed together with other eighth notes. They are commonly used to add faster, rhythmic variation within a measure, helping musicians create more detailed and lively melodies or rhythms.