Sixteenth note

A single sixteenth note is always stemmed with flags, while two or more are usually beamed in groups.

As with all notes with stems, sixteenth notes are drawn with stems to the right of the notehead, facing up, when they are below the middle line of the musical staff (or on the middle line, in vocal music).

When they are on the middle line (in instrumental music) or above it, they are drawn with stems on the left of the note head, facing down.

are next to each other, the flags may be connected with a beam, like the notes in Figure 2.

However, semifusa also designates the modern sixty-fourth note in Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese.

Figure 1. A 16th note with stem facing up, a 16th note with stem facing down, and a 16th rest.
Figure 2. Four 16th notes beamed together.
Whole note Half note Quarter note Eighth note Sixteenth note Thirty-second note
Comparison of duple note values: whole note = 2× half note , etc.