Locate the time signature for the piece of music. The time signature informs the musicians of the amount of beats the notes receive in each measure. The most common time signature is four-over-four. The top number represents the number of beats per measure and the bottom number informs the musician that the quarter note receives the beat. Additional time signatures change the value of the notes. For example, in six-over-eight time, there are six beats in every measure and the eighth note receives the beat. The musician counts the beats "1-2-3-4-5-6" in each measure.
Determine the shape of the note. Whole notes resemble an oval and do not contain a staff. The value of a whole note is typically four beats per measure. Notes with staffs are half notes and quarter notes. Eighth notes and sixteenth notes have flags attached. The value of half notes is two beats per measure, quarter notes are one beat per measure, eighth notes are a half-a-beat per measure and sixteenth notes are worth a quarter-beat per measure.
Identify slurred notes. Connected with an arched lined placed over or under a series of notes, musicians play the slurred notes in one breath. Playing the notes in one breath adds to the value of the original note. For example, attaching a half note to another half note increases the value to four instead of two.
Scan the piece of music for a fermata. A fermata is an arch with a dot underneath. The symbol tells the musician to hold the note approximately twice as long as the original value. For example, a whole note with a fermata lasts eight counts instead of four.
Analyze the piece of music and locate notes with dots directly beside the note. Dots add value to the notes. The value of the note increases by half of the value of the note. For example, the value of a dotted quarter note is one-point-five beats.