<h3>Keeping time with notes and rests</h3><p><strong>Rhythm</strong> is the pattern of sounds and silences that gives music its movement through time. A <strong>time signature</strong> such as <code>4/4</code> tells us there are four beats in each <strong>bar</strong>, and that a crotchet gets one beat.</p><p>The common <strong>note values</strong> in 4/4 are: a <strong>semibreve</strong> = 4 beats, a <strong>minim</strong> = 2 beats, a <strong>crotchet</strong> = 1 beat, and a <strong>quaver</strong> = half a beat. Two quavers therefore fill one beat. Each note has a matching <strong>rest</strong> — a silence of the same length — so a crotchet rest is one silent beat and a minim rest is two silent beats.</p><p>A <strong>dot</strong> placed after a note extends it by adding half of its original value. A minim (2 beats) with a dot becomes a <strong>dotted minim</strong> lasting 3 beats (2 + 1). A crotchet (1 beat) with a dot becomes a <strong>dotted crotchet</strong> lasting 1.5 beats (1 + 0.5). To count a 4/4 bar steadily, say "one, two, three, four" at an even pace, adding "and" between beats when quavers appear.</p><div class="callout"><strong>Kenyan context:</strong> Clap along to a benga or gospel song on the radio. Tap your foot four steady beats per bar, then clap two quick quavers on one beat to feel how half-beats fit inside the steady pulse — the same maths drummers use in a Nairobi church band.</div>