How is the quarter note duration calculated?

A quarter note equals one beat, so its duration in milliseconds is 60000 divided by the BPM. At 120 BPM, one beat lasts 500 ms.

What is a dotted note?

A dotted note lasts 1.5 times its base duration. For example, a dotted quarter note at 120 BPM lasts 750 ms instead of 500 ms.

What is a triplet note?

A triplet fits three notes into the space of two standard notes of the same type. Its duration is 2/3 of the base note duration. A quarter triplet at 120 BPM lasts approximately 333 ms.

Why do delay pedals use milliseconds?

Delay pedals measure time in milliseconds to give precise, tempo-synced echo effects. Matching the delay time to a musical note value creates rhythmically coherent repetitions.

What BPM range does this tool support?

The calculator works for any BPM from 1 to 999, covering everything from extremely slow ambient pieces to fast electronic music.

How do I use this for a DAW reverb or delay plugin?

Set your project BPM, read the millisecond value for the note length you want (e.g., eighth note), and enter that value into the delay time field of your plugin.

Note Duration Calculator

Enter a BPM value and instantly see the duration in milliseconds and seconds for every standard note value, including dotted and triplet variants.

Tempo

Beats Per Minute (BPM)

Common Tempos

Formula: Quarter note = 60000 ÷ BPM ms.
All other note values scale proportionally.
Dotted = 1.5×, Triplet = 2/3×.

Note Durations at 120 BPM

Note

Standard

Dotted

Triplet

Durations in Seconds

Note

Standard

Dotted

Triplet

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Summary

The Note Duration Calculator converts a tempo in BPM (beats per minute) into precise durations for every common note value. It covers standard notes from whole to sixty-fourth, plus dotted (1.5× longer) and triplet (2/3 as long) variants. All durations are shown in both milliseconds and seconds, making it easy to sync audio, set delay times, or plan recordings.

How it works

Enter your tempo in BPM (beats per minute) in the input field.
The calculator uses the formula: quarter note = 60000 / BPM milliseconds.
All other note values are derived by halving or doubling relative to the quarter note.
Dotted notes are 1.5 times the standard duration; triplet notes are 2/3 of the standard duration.
Results update instantly as you type — no submit button needed.

Use cases

Set the delay time on a guitar or synth effect pedal to match the song tempo.
Sync a looper pedal or DAW loop length to a specific BPM.
Teach students the relationship between tempo and note length.
Plan recording sessions by knowing the exact bar and beat lengths.
Compose music with time-locked effects like reverb tails or LFO rates.
Quickly check if a sample length fits a musical phrase at a given BPM.
Set up click tracks or MIDI sequencer grid divisions.
Convert BPM to delay times for mixing engineers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu