eighth note

The eighth note (called a quaver in British terminology) lasts half as long as a quarter note. In 4/4 time at a moderate tempo, eighth notes create a flowing, walking-speed rhythmic movement. Two eighth notes equal one quarter note, and they are often grouped in pairs or fours by horizontal beams connecting their stems. Eighth notes are the workhorses of most musical styles. In swing jazz, pairs of eighth notes are played with a long-short lilt rather than evenly. In classical music, they provide the running passages that give allegro movements their energy. In compound time signatures like 6/8, eighth notes are the basic pulse unit rather than quarter notes.