hemidemisemiquaver

9.9

A very short musical note that lasts one sixty-fourth of a whole note

noun
/ˌhɛmɪˌdɛmɪˈsɛmɪˌkwɑːvər/

: hemidemisemicuádriga

The pianist played a rapid series of hemidemisemiquavers in the final cadenza.

Examples

The composer's modern works are filled with complex rhythms and hemidemisemiquavers.
It's rare to see a hemidemisemiquaver in beginner sheet music because of its short duration.
The composer used a hemidemisemiquaver in the last measure.
Can you play a hemidemisemiquaver on the piano?
In music, a hemidemisemiquaver is played for a very short duration, specifically one sixty-fourth of a whole note.
During the performance, the pianist intricately included numerous hemidemisemiquavers in the rapid passage.
She found it challenging to pronounce hemidemisemiquaver while trying to explain the note to her friends.

Synonyms

sixty-fourth note

vshemidemisemiquaver

Specialized

7.7

A very short musical sound equal to one sixty-fourth of a whole note

is the specific musical name for that same time value

How Short

hemidemisemiquaver

9.9

thirty-second note

Specialized

8.4

sixteenth note

Specialized

1 5.8

eighth note

Specialized

1 4.8

quarter note

Specialized

1 3.9

half note

Specialized

1 3.6

whole note

Specialized

1 4.2

Surface Forms

hemidemisemiquaver singular

hemidemisemiquavers plural

Morphology

hemidemisemiquaver = demisemiquaver (transparent) = hemi + demi + semi + quaver

The final form is created by adding 'hemi-' to an already compositional musical term, so the meaning 'half of a demisemiquaver' is straightforward.

Etymology

Hemidemisemiquaver comes from three parts that mean 'half'—hemi-, demi-, and semi-—plus quaver, a word for a short musical note. So the name shows a note cut in half three times, which is why a hemidemisemiquaver is a very short sixty-fourth note.