Dotted half note: how many beats it gets
A dotted half note is a half note with a dot after the notehead. The dot adds half the note's value, so it lasts 3 beats in 4/4 and 3/4. You count it "1 2 3". In British English it is a dotted minim.
A dotted half note is one of the easiest dotted notes to learn, because it fits so neatly into the 3/4 time signature. It looks like a half note with a small dot to the right, and it lasts three beats instead of two. In 3/4, one dotted half note fills an entire measure.
What does a dotted half note look like?
It is a half note, which has a hollow notehead and a stem, followed by a small dot placed to the right of the notehead. If the notehead sits on a line, the dot is moved up into the space above that line, so it is never hidden. If the notehead is in a space, the dot sits in the same space.
How many beats does a dotted half note get?
A dot adds half the value of the note it follows. A half note gets 2 beats, so half of that is 1 beat, and the dotted half note gets 2 plus 1, which is 3 beats. Another way to see it: a dotted half note equals a half note tied to a quarter note, or three quarter notes.
That answer holds when the quarter note gets one beat, such as in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 (although a 2/4 measure is too short to hold a dotted half note). In 2/2 the half note is the beat, so a dotted half note gets 1 and a half beats. In 6/8, a dotted half note is equal to six eighth notes, which is a full measure.
| Time signature | Beat note | Beats a dotted half note gets |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | Quarter | 3 |
| 3/4 | Quarter | 3 (a full measure) |
| 2/2 (cut time) | Half | 1 1/2 |
| 6/8 | Dotted quarter | 2 (a full measure) |
How to count a dotted half note
In 3/4 count "1 2 3" and play the note on 1, holding through 3. In 4/4, a dotted half note is usually paired with a quarter note to fill the measure: play the dotted half on 1, hold through 2 and 3, then play the quarter on 4. Say every number aloud, because you only play on the first one.
Memory trick: Half note equals 2. The dot adds half of 2, which is 1. So 2 plus 1 gives 3 beats, the size of a 3/4 measure.
Why does a dot add half?
The dot is a shortcut. Without it, you would need two notes joined by a tie, which is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch. A dotted half note is the same as a half note tied to a quarter note. The dot is shorter to write and easier to read, so composers use it whenever the extra length is exactly half the note's value.
Dotted half note, dotted minim and other names
In British English the dotted half note is called a dotted minim. In 3/4 music it is sometimes described as the "one-note measure." The word "dotted" stays the same across both naming systems.
Dotted half notes and rests
Rests can be dotted as well. A dotted half rest lasts 3 beats, the length of a dotted half note, and appears when a part is silent for most of a 3/4 measure. A whole measure of silence is usually written with a whole rest in any time signature, so a dotted half rest is only needed inside a longer bar.
How the dotted half note relates to other notes
A dotted half note equals one half note plus one quarter note. It also equals six eighth notes, or twelve sixteenth notes. Three-quarters of a whole note is the same length. You will meet it most often in waltz-like music, which uses the 3/4 time signature.
Singers meet the dotted half note often in slow songs and hymns, where one syllable may stretch over three beats. A good way to practice is to tap three beats with your hand while holding a steady sound on one pitch. Notice that the sound stays alive for the full three counts, and only then does the next note start.
Common mistakes
- Counting a dotted half note as 2 beats. The dot adds one more, so it is 3.
- Forgetting to hold it. In 3/4 the note lasts the whole measure.
- Confusing the dot with a staccato dot. A staccato dot sits above or below the notehead, while a duration dot sits to the right.
Next, try the dotted quarter note, which uses the same rule with a smaller note, or review all note values.
Check yourself
1. How many beats does a dotted half note get in 4/4?
Answer: 3. A half note is 2 beats and the dot adds 1, so a dotted half note gets 3 beats.
2. What does a dot after a note do?
Answer: Adds half its value. A dot always adds half of the value of the note it follows.
3. How many dotted half notes fill a measure of 3/4?
Answer: 1. A dotted half note lasts three beats, which is the length of a full 3/4 measure.
4. What is another way to write a dotted half note?
Answer: Half note tied to a quarter note. 2 beats plus 1 beat equals 3 beats, the value of a dotted half note.
5. What note is shown here?
Answer: Dotted half note. A hollow notehead with a stem and a dot to its right is a dotted half note.