half note
A note lasting two beats in common time, represented by an open note head with a stem.
In Depth
The half note (called a minim in British terminology) lasts half as long as a whole note and twice as long as a quarter note. In 4/4 time, it occupies two beats. Its notation — an open (hollow) oval note head with a stem — distinguishes it from the filled-in quarter note.
Half notes provide sustained, spacious moments in music. They give melodies room to breathe and allow harmonies to ring. In chorale-style writing, half notes are common at phrase endings, creating natural pausing points. The half rest (a small black rectangle sitting on top of the middle staff line) indicates two beats of silence.
The names half note and quarter note date from the 15th century, when the longest common note value was the whole note. As music evolved, shorter values were added by halving.