Piano Guidance
Photo by George Dolgikh Pexels Logo Photo: George Dolgikh

What is a half note called?

In music, a half note (American) or minim (British) is a note played for half the duration of a whole note (or semibreve) and twice the duration of a quarter note (or crotchet).

en.wikipedia.org - Half note - Wikipedia
What is a drop 3 voicing?
What is a drop 3 voicing?

The “drop” moniker comes from the way in which these voicings are generated. To create a drop 2 voicing, take a Cmaj7 chord that is stacked in...

Read More »
Where does Steinway get its wood?
Where does Steinway get its wood?

Since 1853 Steinway has enjoyed long-standing historical relationships with lumberyards in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Alaska from which...

Read More »

This article is about the musical note. For other uses, see Half note (disambiguation) Figure 1: A half note with stem facing up, a half note with stem facing down, and a half rest

Comparison of duple note values (= 2×, etc.)

In music, a half note (American) or minim (British) is a note played for half the duration of a whole note (or semibreve) and twice the duration of a quarter note (or crotchet). It was given its Latin name (minima, meaning "least or smallest") because it was the shortest of the five note values used in early medieval music notation.[1] Half notes are notated with a hollow oval notehead like a whole note and straight note stem with no flags like a quarter note (see Figure 1). The half rest (or minim rest) denotes a silence of the same duration. Half rests are drawn as filled-in rectangles sitting on top of the middle line of the musical staff, although in polyphonic music the rest may need to be moved to a different line or even a ledger line. As with all notes with stems, half notes are drawn with upward stems on the right when they are below the middle line of the staff and downward stems on the left when they are on or above the middle line. In vocal music, notes on the middle line have a downward stem instead of an upward stem. The American term half note is a 19th-century loan translation of German halbe Note. The Catalan, French, and Spanish names (blanca, blanche, meaning "white") derive from the fact that the minima was the shortest unfilled note in mensural white notation, which is true of the modern form as well. The form in the earlier black notation resembles the modern quarter note (crotchet). The Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean names mean "half", and in Greek, the modern word (miso – μισό) and older (imisi – ήμισι) are used.

See also [ edit ]

Does piano build muscle?
Does piano build muscle?

It sharpens fine motor skills, improves dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Music has also been shown to reduce heart and respiratory rates,...

Read More »
Are upright pianos hard to move?
Are upright pianos hard to move?

Remember, pianos are not only heavy, but they're also awkward. Uprights carry all their weight in the top half, and their legs and feet can be...

Read More »

What is the instrument of Angel?
What is the instrument of Angel?

harps In the context of Christianity, heaven is sometimes symbolically depicted as populated by angels playing harps, giving the instrument...

Read More »
Do pianists write finger numbers?
Do pianists write finger numbers?

Piano finger numbers are found in piano sheet music and indicate which finger to use on a specific note. The number one represents the thumb, two...

Read More »
How do you tell ivory from plastic or bone?
How do you tell ivory from plastic or bone?

The test consists of heating up the point of a needle until it's red-hot and then pricking what you believe is your ivory carving. If the needle...

Read More »
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »
Should I learn to read music?
Should I learn to read music?

Being able to read music means you can see and understand the structure of the piece and how it's put together, allowing you to develop a greater...

Read More »