Halftime

Notation of a halfbeat; above the 4/4 basic measure, below the halfbeats

Halftime (also called half-time or halfbeat ) is a common term in music for a passage that is played at half speed.

With a halfbeat, only every second counter is played, deviating from the basic rhythm. When playing the melody, the passage is played stretched to double the time. (e.g. when practicing a phrasing)

The halfbeat is a popular stylistic device, for example to highlight expressive vocal passages with a thinned-out accompaniment. The half-time shuffle is often played in blues, blues rock and rock music .

The opposite of halftime is doubletime if you continue to play at double speed.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Half-time in the Rock Lexicon