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Free Grade 2 rhythm worksheet

Dotted notes and 6/8 should not feel like guessing

Use this page when a Grade 2 student knows basic note values but hesitates over dotted crotchets, dotted quavers or compound-time counting. The questions are designed for short between-lesson revision, not for replacing teacher-led exam preparation.

Independent resource: Music Maestro is not affiliated with or endorsed by AMEB. These are original rhythm questions for early-grade piano theory revision, not official AMEB examination questions. Confirm the student's current pathway with their teacher and the current syllabus.

The three rules to make secure

The dot adds half

A dotted crotchet is a crotchet plus half a crotchet: 1½ crotchet beats, or 3 quavers.

6/8 has six quavers

Count the written quavers accurately before deciding where the larger pulse sits.

6/8 usually feels in two

Each main beat is a dotted crotchet made from three quavers.

Ten original practice questions

01How many quavers equal one dotted crotchet?

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3 quavers. A crotchet equals 2 quavers and the dot adds 1 more quaver.

02How many quavers equal one dotted minim?

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6 quavers. A minim is 4 quavers and the dot adds half of that value, which is 2 more quavers.

03How many semiquavers equal one dotted quaver?

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3 semiquavers. A quaver is 2 semiquavers and the dot adds 1 semiquaver.

04In 6/8, how many quavers are in one full bar?

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6 quavers. The top number gives the number of eighth-note units in the bar.

05In 6/8, how many dotted-crotchet pulses are usually felt?

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2 main pulses. Each dotted-crotchet pulse contains 3 quavers, so two pulses make 6 quavers.

06A 6/8 bar contains one dotted crotchet. How many quavers are still needed?

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3 quavers. The bar needs 6 quavers total. One dotted crotchet has already used 3.

07Can two dotted crotchets fill a 6/8 bar?

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Yes. Each dotted crotchet equals 3 quavers, so two dotted crotchets equal 6 quavers.

08A dotted quaver plus a semiquaver equals how many quavers?

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1 quaver. A dotted quaver is ¾ of a quaver, and a semiquaver is ¼ of a quaver.

09Why is "a dotted note adds one beat" an unsafe rule?

Show answer
Because the dot adds half of the original note value, not always one beat. A dotted minim adds 1 beat in 4/4, but a dotted crotchet adds only half a beat in simple time.

10What should a student clap first when 6/8 feels confusing?

Show answer
Clap or tap the six quavers first, then group them into two sets of three. That makes both the written rhythm and the larger pulse easier to hear.

A ten-minute parent routine

  1. Ask the student to say the dotted-note rule out loud: "the dot adds half."
  2. Tap six even quavers while counting "1 2 3 4 5 6."
  3. Repeat the same taps while accenting "ONE two three TWO two three."
  4. Answer five worksheet questions, then find one dotted rhythm in the student's actual piece.

When to move from worksheet to app practice

If the student can explain the rule but still answers slowly, use short mixed drills rather than longer notes. If the student cannot explain the rule, stay with written examples and clapping before adding speed.

Grade 1 note-values practice is free in Music Maestro. Grade 2 and 3 interactive practice, including dotted rhythms and compound-time review, is part of the one-time unlock.

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