Semiquaver

In music, a sixteenth note (known in British terminology as a semiquaver) is a musical note played for one-sixteenth of the duration of a whole note, or half the duration of an eighth note (quaver). Historically, it is the equivalent of the semifusa found in 15th-century mensural notation.

Notational Characteristics

Sixteenth notes are graphically represented with an oval, filled-in note head and a straight stem featuring two flags. When multiple sixteenth notes appear consecutively, their flags are typically replaced by connecting horizontal beams.

A corresponding silence of the exact same duration is denoted by the sixteenth rest (or semiquaver rest). Stem direction and flag orientation follow standard music engraving rules depending on the note's vertical position on the staff.

Historical Background

The modern sixteenth note descends from the semifusa of mensural notation, which first appeared during the 15th century. In certain Romance languages such as Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese, the historical term semifusa is alternatively used to designate the modern sixty-fourth note.