Whole Note (Semibreve)

Look for an empty oval notehead with no stem. Its position on the staff gives the pitch; its shape gives the duration. A whole note equals two half notes or four quarter notes. At a steady pulse, play one whole note where you would otherwise play four successive quarter notes.

In 4/4, where the quarter note usually carries the beat, a whole note lasts four beats and fills one bar. In 2/2 the half note is the beat, so the same written whole note lasts two beats. Read the meter before turning a note value into a beat count.

A whole rest hangs below a staff line. It is also used as a full-measure rest, including in meters whose bar is not four quarters long. In that case count the entire measure of silence, not an automatic four beats.

A half note has an open notehead and a stem. Two half notes occupy the duration of one whole note. Count four quarter-note pulses: strike a whole note on 1, then try two half notes on 1 and 3. The bar ends at the same point.