Open notehead
An open notehead with a stem forms a half note; an open head without a stem forms a whole note. The head alone therefore does not fix the duration, and its staff position normally determines pitch.
- Notes and rests
- On the staff itself
- An oval or notehead
Do not confuse it with
A filled notehead is solid black and is used for quarter notes and shorter values.
What the sources say
- SMuFL — Noteheads
noteheadHalf — Half (minim) notehead
- Rhythmic values
Unfilled noteheads can appear with or without a stem
- Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony — Rhythmic Durations
Two quarter notes together make a half note, written as an open notehead with a stem.