<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Look up quarter note in Wiktionary, the free dictionary . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Look up quarter note in Wiktionary, the free dictionary . </Td> </Tr> <P> A quarter note (American) or crotchet (British, from the sense' hook') is a note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Often, musicians will say that a crotchet is one beat, but this is not always correct, as the beat is indicated by the time signature of the music; a quarter note may or may not be the beat . Quarter notes are notated with a filled - in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem . The stem usually points upwards if it is below the middle line of the stave or downwards if it is on or above the middle line . However, the stem direction may differentiate more than one part . The head of the note also reverses its orientation in relation to the stem . (See image .) </P> <P> In Unicode, the symbol is U + 2669 (♩). </P>

Why is a crotchet called a quarter note