Double whole note either of two ways: by a hollow oval note head, like a whole note, with one or two vertical lines on either side, as on the left of the image, or as the rectangular shape also found in older notation, shown in the middle of the image (; ). Because it lasts longer than a bar in most modern time signatures in common use, the breve is rarely encountered except in English music, where the half-note is often used as the beat unit . A related symbol is the double whole rest (double rest or breve rest), which usually denotes
Half-time (music) Half-time (music) In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially "doubling the tempo resolution" or metric division/level in comparison to common-time. Thus approximates . It is not to be confused with "alla breve" or odd time. Though notes usually get the same value relative to the tempo, the way the beats are divided is altered. While much music typically has a backbeat on quarter note (crotchet) beats two and four, half time would increase the interval between backbeats to double, thus making it hit on beats three and seven, or