duration

The duration property defines how long a note plays, measured in seconds.

Default Value

new Fraction(1)  // 1 second

Expression Examples

Fixed Duration

new Fraction(1)     // 1 second
new Fraction(2)     // 2 seconds
new Fraction(1, 2)  // 0.5 seconds

Beat-Relative Duration

// One beat (tempo-aware)
new Fraction(60).div(module.findTempo(module.baseNote))

// Two beats
new Fraction(60).div(module.findTempo(module.baseNote))
  .mul(new Fraction(2))

// Half beat (eighth note)
new Fraction(60).div(module.findTempo(module.baseNote))
  .mul(new Fraction(1, 2))

// Quarter beat (sixteenth note)
new Fraction(60).div(module.findTempo(module.baseNote))
  .mul(new Fraction(1, 4))

Measure-Relative Duration

// One full measure
module.findMeasureLength(module.baseNote)

// Half a measure
module.findMeasureLength(module.baseNote).mul(new Fraction(1, 2))

// Two measures
module.findMeasureLength(module.baseNote).mul(new Fraction(2))

Same as Another Note

// Same duration as Note 1
module.getNoteById(1).getVariable('duration')

// Twice as long as Note 1
module.getNoteById(1).getVariable('duration').mul(new Fraction(2))

Standard Note Values

At a given tempo, common note durations:

Note	Beats	Expression
Whole	4	beat.mul(new Fraction(4))
Half	2	beat.mul(new Fraction(2))
Quarter	1	beat
Eighth	0.5	beat.mul(new Fraction(1, 2))
Sixteenth	0.25	beat.mul(new Fraction(1, 4))
Dotted half	3	beat.mul(new Fraction(3))
Dotted quarter	1.5	beat.mul(new Fraction(3, 2))

Where beat = new Fraction(60).div(module.findTempo(module.baseNote))

Variable Widget Shortcuts

The Variable Widget provides duration icons for quick selection:

• 𝅝 Whole note (4 beats)
• 𝅗𝅥 Half note (2 beats)
• ♩ Quarter note (1 beat)
• ♪ Eighth note (1/2 beat)
• 𝅘𝅥𝅯 Sixteenth note (1/4 beat)

These icons set tempo-relative durations automatically.

Visualization

• Note width on the workspace represents duration
• Longer notes appear wider
• Width scales with the X-axis zoom level

Audio Behavior

During playback:

1. Oscillator starts at startTime
2. Envelope (ADSR) is applied based on instrument settings
3. Oscillator stops at startTime + duration

The actual audible duration may be slightly different due to envelope release time.

Dependencies

Duration affects sequential note chains:

// Note 2 starts when Note 1 ends
// Depends on Note 1's duration
module.getNoteById(1).getVariable('startTime')
  .add(module.getNoteById(1).getVariable('duration'))

Changing Note 1's duration shifts when Note 2 starts.

See Also

• startTime - When notes play
• tempo - Speed in BPM
• Add Rhythm - Duration tutorial