Definition

Noun: A thirty-second note is a musical note that has a time value equal to one thirty-second of the duration of a whole note. It is a very short note value, typically appearing in fast passages of music.

Usage

This term is used specifically in musical notation to indicate rhythm and duration. It is most common in written sheet music and discussions among musicians about rhythm. - In standard notation, a thirty-second note is drawn as a filled-in oval note head with a stem and three flags or beams. - It is twice as fast as a sixteenth note and half as fast as a sixty-fourth note.

Examples

• The violin part in that bar is filled with rapid thirty-second notes.
• To play this passage correctly, you must count the thirty-second notes precisely.
• The composer used a run of thirty-second notes to create a sense of great speed and urgency.

Advanced Usage

• In Tuplets: A thirty-second note can be part of a tuplet, such as a triplet where three notes are played in the time of two, further dividing the beat.
• In Beaming: Multiple thirty-second notes are often connected by three beams to make the music easier to read.

Variants and Related Words

• Demisemiquaver: This is the British English term for a thirty-second note.
• Thirty-second rest: A rest (silence) of the same duration as a thirty-second note.

Synonyms

• Demisemiquaver (UK)

Related Phrases

• Run of thirty-second notes: A phrase describing a rapid sequence of these notes.
• Beamed thirty-second notes: Refers to thirty-second notes connected by beams.

Noun

1. a musical note having the time value of a thirty-second of a whole note