How long does a minim last for?

Answer 1

In music thenotes are split in to 4 main lengths, the largest of which is a minim. Next there are crochets, then quavers, then semiquavers (there are also demi-semiquavers but they are uncommon). There are:

• 4 semiquavers in a quaver
• 4 quavers in a crochet
• 4 crochets in a minim

So, to answer you question, a minim rest can be counted as 4 crochets, 8 quavers or 16 semiquavers. The exact length each note lasts really depends on the speed of the piece you're playing.

Answer 2

Musical duration symbols have had different meaning and different durations through the history of written music. The minim is half the duration of the semibreve, twice the duration of the fusa (from Renaissance notation). The breve shape is called, in America, a double-whole note. The semibreve is called, in America, a whole note, because it occupies the whole measure in the two most common time signatures (4/4 and 2/2, the latter known as "alla breve").

During the period of White Mensural Notation, the duration of some of the notes was a variable. depending on whether they were considered "perfect" or "imperfect", they would have three or two of the next-smaller note duration symbol. This occurred at the level of the minim, semibreve, breve, and long (which was twice or three times the duration of the breve.) Each symbol was associated with a term, mode (modus), time (tempus) and 'extension' (prolatio) for the long, breve and semibreve.

An example: in tempus perfecta, prolatio imperfecta, the breve would last for the duration of three semibreves, while the semibreve would last for the duration of two minims. Fusae and shorter durations were always binary.

With the passage of time, the tactus (the time between down strokes of a director's hand) changed. In the process, the 'beat' moved from breve to semibreve to minim (in the early 1600's). Eventually, the larger note durations fell out of use, the corners came off the diamond (or lozenge in some descriptions) shaped notes, and our modern note shapes emerged, with the beat most commonly on the quaver (quarter note), with the breve a rarely-used symbol. The whole 4/4 or 3/4 measure was occupied by the semibreve (whole note), two minims (half notes), four quavers (quarter notes), etc.

The rests below the breve rest have always been considered duple, so the minim rest has always been the same duration in time as half the semibreve or two quavers, regardless of perfection or imperfection, with the understanding that the breve rests and above occupied the 'mensur', what we'd consider a measure, today.

So the short answer is that the duration of the minim rest is measured as half the semibreve or two quavers.

The reason for this round-about answer is that, today, there is absolutely no single tempo for the beat. It is possible for a half-rest to go by in a fraction of a second, or take a minute, at the whim of the composer's marking and/or conductor/director's choosing.

Answer 3

In 4/4 or 3/4 time, a dotted minim (half note) lasts 3 beats. A dot after a note adds half of its length. So 2 beats + 1 beat = 3.

Answer 4

think it is half a note... or is that a quaver?? maybe 2 then!

Answer 5

It is a half note ... two beats in 4/4 time signature.

Answer 6

2 beats

Answer 7

2