whole note

Stemless staff oval

A whole note is a musical note with the longest standard duration, equal to four beats in common time.

It's written as an open oval without a stem.

Other note values are measured against it: a half note lasts half as long, a quarter note a quarter as long.

The passage ends on a whole note held for the full measure.

duration

semibreve

Note lasting four beats

rest · fermata · count · measure · bar · tempo · pulse · rhythm · legato · adagio

orchestral

strings

Thin flexible lines

conductor · baton · downbeat · ensemble · unison · chord · pad · drone · symphony · philharmonic

notation

semibreve

Note lasting four beats

  • staffOrganization's workers collectively
  • ledger lineShort line extending staff
  • clefStaff pitch indicator

treble clef · bass clef · score · sheet music · manuscript · engraving · music theory · sight-reading · transcription · arrangement

Categories
Opposites
duration/note value

whole notesixty-fourth note

Smallest standard rhythmic value

thirty-second note · sixteenth note · semiquaver · eighth note · quarter note

sound vs. silence

whole notewhole rest

Four-beat musical silence

Family

note, whole

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G