half note

noun

Music.

1. a note equivalent in time value to one half of a whole note; minim.

half-note

noun

1. Also called: minim. a note having the time value of half a semibreve

Word History and Origins

Origin of half note¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Curly’s voice cracked which he’d try to cover up by sliding up or down a half note.

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Ending with quarter notes, half notes, or even quarter notes and a rest gives a sense of finality to the rhythm.

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A note that lasts half as long as a whole note is a half note.

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“I write long-line stuff in either whole notes or half notes,” he added.

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I think that in any music you play, this heaviness also comes from — if you see, let’s say, a dotted half note or a long note, people just sit on it forever.

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