In Western musical notation, a dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it. In modern practice, the first dot increases the duration of the basic note by half of its original value. This means that a dotted note is equivalent to writing the basic note tied to a note of half the value – for instance, a dotted half note is equivalent to a half note tied to a quarter note. Subsequent dots add progressively halved value, as shown in the example to the right. Though theoretically possible, a note with more than three dots is highly uncommon; only quadruple dots have been attested. If the original note is considered as being of length 1, then a quintuple dot would only be 1/32 longer than the quadruple dotted note. The difficulty may be seen by comparing dotted notation to tied notation: a quarter note is equivalent to 2 tied 8th notes, a dotted quarter = 3 tied 8th notes, double dotted = 7 tied 16th notes, triple dotted = 15 tied 32nd notes, and quadruple dotted = 31 tied 64th notes. Although shorter notes do occur 64th notes are considered the shortest practical duration found in musical notation.
If the note to be dotted is on a space, the dot also goes on the space, while if the note is on a line, the dot goes on the space above.
The placement of dots gets more complicated for adjacent-note chords and for lower voices, as shown below.
The dots on dotted notes, which are located to the right of the note, should not be confused with the dots for staccatoarticulation, which are located above or below the note. Theoretically, any note value can be dotted, as can rests of any value. If the rest is in its normal position, dots are always placed in third staff space from the bottom, as shown in the example below.
Dots can be used across barlines, such as in H. C. Robbins Landon's edition of Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 70 in D major, but most writers today regard this usage as obsolete and recommend using a tie across the barline instead.
Double dotting
A double-dotted note is a note with two small dots written after it. Its duration is times its basic note value. The double-dotted note is used less frequently than the dotted note. Typically, as in the example to the right, it is followed by a note whose duration is one-quarter the length of the basic note value, completing the next higher note value. Before the mid-18th century, double dots were not used. Until then, in some circumstances, single dots could mean double dots. In a French overture, notes written as dotted notes are often interpreted to mean double-dotted notes, and the following note is commensurately shortened; see Historically informed performance.
