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Musical Notes - What is a Minim?
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Leslie Rush
Aug 6, 2009, 4:21:21 AM8/6/09
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A "minim" is a musical note that is widely used in piano sheet music.
In fact, it's used in all sheet music for all musical instruments.
The minim has a hollow non-coloured oval shape with a stem on the
right or left side depending on where on the staff it is written. When
the minim is written higher up the staff or above the middle line, the
stem will be written on the left side of the oval and pointing
downwards. If it is below the middle line then the stem is written on
the right side and pointing upwards. There are no hard and fast rules
regarding this and ultimately whether to write the stem on left or
right will be more for neatness and also to leave room for chord
symbols and lyrics.
The minim is also referred to as a half note yet its musical time
value is two beats. This is because the minim or half note should be
referenced to the semibreve, which is worth four beats. Half of four
equals two; the minim is worth two beats and is also half the value of
a semibreve, hence the name half note.
An important reference note to all others, is the semibreve. A
semibreve is also known as a whole note. Using simple fractions you
can work out what different types of notes are called. We have already
explained half notes, next would be quarter notes then eight notes and
so on.
Also related to the minim is the minim rest or half rest. This is a
musical silence worth two beats. A half rest is written as a small
black rectangular box, which sits on the middle line of the staff.
Another relation to the minim is the dotted minim or dotted half note,
which is worth three beats. It's useful to know that a dot written on
the right side of any musical note, increases that's notes value by
half as much again. So in the minims case, half of two equals one, add
the one to the minims value of two, two plus one equals three.
Even though notes such as the minim, which we now know, can be
referred to as a half note, it is useful to know the actual name of
the note. The smallest note value in modern music is a sixty fourth
note called a "hemidemsemiquaver" and the highest note value is called
a "breve" which is worth eight beats and is not used anymore. Which is
just as well or it would confuse things even more.
In fact, it's used in all sheet music for all musical instruments.
The minim has a hollow non-coloured oval shape with a stem on the
right or left side depending on where on the staff it is written. When
the minim is written higher up the staff or above the middle line, the
stem will be written on the left side of the oval and pointing
downwards. If it is below the middle line then the stem is written on
the right side and pointing upwards. There are no hard and fast rules
regarding this and ultimately whether to write the stem on left or
right will be more for neatness and also to leave room for chord
symbols and lyrics.
The minim is also referred to as a half note yet its musical time
value is two beats. This is because the minim or half note should be
referenced to the semibreve, which is worth four beats. Half of four
equals two; the minim is worth two beats and is also half the value of
a semibreve, hence the name half note.
An important reference note to all others, is the semibreve. A
semibreve is also known as a whole note. Using simple fractions you
can work out what different types of notes are called. We have already
explained half notes, next would be quarter notes then eight notes and
so on.
Also related to the minim is the minim rest or half rest. This is a
musical silence worth two beats. A half rest is written as a small
black rectangular box, which sits on the middle line of the staff.
Another relation to the minim is the dotted minim or dotted half note,
which is worth three beats. It's useful to know that a dot written on
the right side of any musical note, increases that's notes value by
half as much again. So in the minims case, half of two equals one, add
the one to the minims value of two, two plus one equals three.
Even though notes such as the minim, which we now know, can be
referred to as a half note, it is useful to know the actual name of
the note. The smallest note value in modern music is a sixty fourth
note called a "hemidemsemiquaver" and the highest note value is called
a "breve" which is worth eight beats and is not used anymore. Which is
just as well or it would confuse things even more.
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