Half note: symbol, beats and how to count it
A half note is an open oval notehead with a stem. In 4/4 time it gets 2 beats, half of a whole note, and you count it "1 2" or "3 4". In British English it is called a minim.
The half note is the second-longest everyday note value. It looks like the whole note with a stem attached: a hollow oval notehead plus a thin vertical line. It lasts half as long as a whole note, which is where its name comes from. In 4/4 time, two half notes fill exactly one measure.
What does a half note look like?
A half note has an open (white) notehead and a stem, with no flag and no beam. The stem is what separates it from the whole note, and the open notehead is what separates it from the quarter note, whose head is filled in. Hollow with a stem means half note.
Which way does the stem go?
The stem direction depends on where the note sits on the staff. For notes below the middle line, the stem goes up and is attached on the right side of the notehead. For notes above the middle line, the stem goes down and is attached on the left side. Notes on the middle line can go either way, and usually follow the notes around them. The direction never changes how long the note lasts.
How many beats does a half note get?
In 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4, where the bottom number is 4, a half note gets 2 beats. That is because the quarter note gets one beat and a half note is worth two quarter notes. In 4/4 two half notes make a full measure, and in 3/4 a half note plus a quarter note makes a full measure.
The count changes when the beat is a different note. In 2/2 time, also called cut time, the half note itself gets the beat, so a half note gets 1 beat. That is why 2/2 music often looks the same as 4/4 on paper but feels twice as fast. In 6/8 a half note equals four eighth notes, which is a beat and a third in terms of dotted-quarter beats, so you rarely see it alone there. Always check the time signature first.
| Time signature | Beat note | Beats a half note gets |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | Quarter | 2 |
| 3/4 | Quarter | 2 |
| 2/4 | Quarter | 2 |
| 2/2 (cut time) | Half | 1 |
How to count a half note
In 4/4, count "1 2 3 4" steadily. A half note that starts on beat 1 is played on "1" and held through "2". The next half note starts on "3" and is held through "4". You say every number but only play on the first one of each pair. A good habit is to say the second number a little more quietly, so you remember the note is still sounding.
Memory trick: A half note is a whole note cut in half, so it gets half of four beats. Two halves make a whole, just like two halves of an apple.
Half note, minim and other names
Outside the United States the half note is called a minim. The word comes from Latin for "smallest," because centuries ago it was the shortest note in use. Over time faster notes were invented, but the name stuck. If an older book or a British teacher says "minim," they mean the half note.
How the half note relates to other notes
Two half notes equal one whole note. One half note equals two quarter notes, four eighth notes or eight sixteenth notes. Adding a dot after a half note makes it last 3 beats, as covered on the dotted half note page. The matching silence is the half rest, which also lasts 2 beats in 4/4.
Half notes are also common in hymns and choir music, where they often carry the long, singing syllables of a melody. If you play piano, you will hold the key down for two full counts and release it just as the next note begins. Counting aloud while you hold the key is the best way to build steady timing.
Common mistakes
- Counting a half note as one beat. In 4/4 it is two, so keep your count going while you hold the note.
- Mixing it up with a quarter note. Check the notehead: open is half, filled is quarter.
- Forgetting that a half note can start on beat 2 and lasts through beat 3, which crosses the middle of the measure. Count every beat to stay accurate.
When half notes feel easy, move on to the quarter note, the note that most beginners use to learn the beat. You can also review all the values together on the note values page.
Check yourself
1. How many beats does a half note get in 4/4?
Answer: 2. A half note is worth two quarter notes, and in 4/4 each quarter note gets one beat.
2. What is the British name for a half note?
Answer: Minim. Minim is the British name for the half note.
3. How many half notes fill one measure of 4/4?
Answer: 2. Each half note gets two beats, so two of them make the four beats of a measure.
4. In 2/2 time, how many beats does a half note get?
Answer: 1. In 2/2 the half note is the beat, so it gets one beat.
5. Which note is this?
Answer: Half note. A hollow notehead with a stem is a half note.