Guide to Calculating Notes Per Second

**MuDvAyNe** · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 1577 Location: St. Peters, MO

INTRODUCTION
I've been seeing a lot of threads asking for the nps of certain parts of songs, usually in relation to parts of other songs. So I drew up this guide to help teach nps calculation. The method to determining the nps involves a small understanding of music and simple math, both of which will be covered in the text to follow.

MATERIALS
-Song chart
-One functioning brain
-Calculator

HOW TO READ A SONG CHART

The above picture is a clipping from a song chart. When looking at the chart, there are two things you need to locate; the tempo, and measure lines.

Circled in the above picture is the tempo. This represents the number of quarter (1/4) notes played in one minute.

The dark black vertical lines on the chart divide the song into measures, the gray lines divide the measures into quarters, and the lightest grey lines divide the measures into eighths. The only lines we need to worry about are the grey lines that divide the measures into quarters; shown by the red lines on the above picture.

CALCULATING NPS
Calcualting the nps requires you to find two pieces of information; the number of quarter notes per second, and what kind of note you are dealing with.

First, lets find the number of quarter notes per second. All you have to do is locate the tempo and divide by 60. This turns the tempo, which is quater notes per minute, into quarter notes per second.

Now, determining what kind of note we are dealing with can be a harder concept to grasp, so I'll give an example for almost every kind of note you will encounter. To find what kind of note we are dealing with, we need to know how many of these notes fit within the duration of one quarter note. Use the gray lines on the chart to help you draw out the duration of a quarter note. Now count the notes (chords only count as one note) that lie within the lines or on the left line, notes that lie on the right line are not included. The table and examples below will help you determine what kind of note you are dealing with.

If you count _____ you have _____.
2 notes - eighth notes (1/8)
3 notes - triplet eighth notes (1/12)
4 notes - sixteenth notes (1/16)
6 notes - triplet sixteenth notes (1/24)
8 notes - thirty-second notes (1/32)
12 notes - triplet thirty-second notes (1/48)

Now for some examples. The duration of one quarter note has been drawn out in red lines in all chart examples.

Eighth Notes (1/8)

Who Was In My Room Last Night

First calculate the quarter notes per second. 182 / 60 = 3.03
Now count the number of notes either on the left line or within the lines. We have two notes, this means we are dealing with eighth notes. Eighth notes are twice as fast as quarter notes, so we take the quarter notes per second and multiply by two to get 6.06 nps.

Triplet Eighth Notes (1/12)

Woman

Quarter notes per second: 155 / 60 = 2.58
We have 3 notes in the quarer note duartion, this means we have triplet eighth notes. Triplet eighth notes are 3 times as fast as quarter notes so we multiply the quarter notes per second by 3 to get 7.74 nps.

Sixteenth Notes (1/16)

Through the Fire and Flames

Quarter notes per second: 200 / 60 = 3.33
We have 4 notes in the quarer note duartion, this means we have sixteenth notes. Sixteenth notes are 4 times as fast as quarter notes so we multiply the quarter notes per second by 4 to get 13.33 nps.

Triplet Sixteenth Notes (1/24)

Knights of Cydonia

Quarter notes per second: 138 / 60 = 2.3
We have 6 notes in the quarer note duartion, this means we have triplet sixteenth notes. Triplet sixteenth notes are 6 times as fast as quarter notes so we multiply the quarter notes per second by 6 to get 13.8 nps.

Thirty-second Notes (1/32)

Through the Fire and Flames

Quarter notes per second: 200 / 60 = 3.33
We have 8 notes in the quarer note duartion, this means we have thirty-second notes. Thirty-second notes are 8 times as fast as quarter notes so we multiply the quarter notes per second by 8 to get 26.6 nps.

Triplet Thirty-second Notes (1/48)

Texas Flood

Quarter notes per second: 58 / 60 = 0.97
We have 12 notes in the quarer note duartion, this means we have triplet thirty-second notes. Triplet thirty-second notes are 12 times as fast as quarter notes so we multiply the quarter notes per second by 12 to get 11.6 nps.

OUTRO
Hope this guide will help you learn the skill of calculating the nps. I am completely open to any comments, critizism, or questions about the guide, as well as any additions you would like to see. Go forth and calculate.
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**richjohnny** · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 2421 Location: Perth, Australia

If I worked this out correctly then the Because, It's Midnight Solo is 15nps..which I don't think is right.

Got to go now so I can't explain but can anyone correct me if I'm wrong?
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**blakstang98** · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: Warwick, RI

Is it possible that maybe some people can calculate some of the more crazy songs, I think that could be very helpful to some players knowing how fast a solo is moving and comparing it to another song that can make a clearer representation of the songs speed. I think its a good idea and I can possibly help with that.
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**Sully** · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 4570 Location: Tampa, FL

**pwndike** · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 169 Location: Eastern Mass

Can you put the name's of the songs in those charts that you posted? I can tell what most of them are but I can't figure out the last one and I'm curious.
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**blakstang98** · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: Warwick, RI

**Terjyn** · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 512

The rudimentary teaching of quarter/8th/16th notes etc just complicates the issue.

Take the beats, divide by 60, and multiply by the number of notes between beat bars. If a note is on both beat bars, count one of those two notes.

This gives you average NPS for the beat.

First half of Because It's Midnite solo:

150/60 * 8 = 20 NPS.

Second Half:

149/60 * 8 = 19.8667

**Sully** · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 4570 Location: Tampa, FL

**ravagetalon** · Joined: 21 Jul 2007 Posts: 2130 Location: KY

This oughta be Stickied. Useful for those who like to really tear into note charts and examine their parts.
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**ninJArabbit** · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 21

I'm not convinced neversoft didn't add extra notes into the 26.6 nps section of TTFAF, I'm having an extremely hard time believing that herman, not exactly at the pinnacle of all guitar technique, can play something over 3 nps faster than Michael Angelo, when at that point even an increase in half a nps requires a MASSIVE increase in coordination.

**blakstang98** · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 2289 Location: Warwick, RI

**dreamaddict** · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 844 Location: Renton, WA

This post is awesome. Thanks so much for putting up pictures of how rhythms look on GH, which I was obviously too lazy to do myself

At least now all of the more casual gamers out there can see what an 8th note and a 16th note are like. Really, this is all you need instead of NPS, if you can keep a beat, is to know how to count it and pretty much that solves your problem. But great post and definitely sticky.
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**MuDvAyNe** · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 1577 Location: St. Peters, MO

**thegibbonator**

I see this thread, and click on it, thinking "Great! This ought to help me figure out Misirlou!"

Then I see this:

**CleverTangent** · Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject:

Just a few songs:

Jordan solo A descending triplets: 11.6 nps
Jordan solo B and C: 15.5 nps
Beast and the Harlot verse: 10.3 nps
Beast and the Harlot solo D: 15.5 nps
Trogdor Solo: 17.3 nps (9/4 time...)
One Fast Solo A: 22.3 nps (...)
Raining Blood Flood! trills: 17.06 nps - 20.3 nps

Great guide, by the way.

EDIT:

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