# Two notes side by side on the same stem? (Orchestral music theory question)



## Manok

I've been studying orchestral music writing lately and I've come across a note I don't know what to do with, for instance lets say you have a half note and a whole note sharing the same stem, does that mean that one instrument plays for one beat, and another for the rest?


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## EdwardBast

More information or a musical example would be helpful. It is common, especially in classical era scores, to put two flute, oboe, etc. parts on the same staff. It would not be proper, however, to have the two parts sharing the same stem if they were different note values. In that case, for example, flute 1 would have a stem up and flute 2 would have a stem down.


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## Guest

How could you have a half note and a whole note on the same stem? A whole note doesn't have a stem. That would just be two half notes. Could you have a half note and a quarter note on the same stem? I suppose you could but since one has twice the duration of the other, it would be kind of cumbersome to interpret but I suppose you could. Yes, if you could embed or to link an example, it would be easier to understand.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

Would two whole-notes side by side be a "semibreve encounter"?


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## Pugg

Manok said:


> I've been studying orchestral music writing lately and I've come across a note I don't know what to do with, for instance lets say you have a half note and a whole note sharing the same stem, does that mean that one instrument plays for one beat, and another for the rest?


What does your teacher says about this ?


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