demisemiquavers

Demisemiquavers are the thirty-second notes in British musical notation. In American usage, this value is called a thirty-second note. It is the third-shortest standard note value in common Western notation, amounting to one thirty-second of a whole note. It is half as long as a semiquaver (sixteenth note) and one quarter as long as an eighth note.

Notational form: A demisemiquaver is drawn as a filled oval note head with a stem and three flags. When grouped with other 32nd notes, they are commonly beamed together with three horizontal beams instead of individual flags.

Usage and context: Demisemiquavers appear in fast passages and flourishes, such as scales, arpeggios, and ornamental figures, across Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern repertoire. They subdivide beats into very small durations, allowing precise rhythmic details in rapid sequences or cadential figures. In scores, multiple 32nd notes may be used to indicate rapid continuation or to align with other voices at a fast tempo.

Terminology and relatives: The term demisemiquaver is part of a sequence of increasingly shorter note values, with the next shorter being the hemidemisemiquaver (1/64 note). In American notation, the equivalent value is simply called a 32nd note.