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The Half Note: Two Beats
A half note lasts for TWO beats — twice as long as a quarter note! When you see a half note, you play or sing it and hold it for two full beats.
What does a half note look like? It looks almost like a quarter note, but the oval note head is OPEN (not filled in). It is just an outline with a stem. Think of it as a quarter note that lost its filling!
When you clap a half note, you clap on beat one and hold through beat two: CLAP-hold. Your hands stay together for two beats before moving on.
Musicians say 'ta-a' for a half note (the 'a' shows you hold it for the second beat): ta-a.
Since a half note takes 2 beats and a measure has 4 beats, you can fit exactly TWO half notes in one measure: ta-a, ta-a = 2+2 = 4 beats. Perfect!