Ghost note
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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In music, a ghost note, dead note, or false note, is a musical note with a rhythmic value, but no discernible pitch when played. On stringed instruments, this is played by sounding a muted string. "Muted to the point where it is more percussive sounding than obvious and clear in pitch. There is a pitch, to be sure, but its musical value is more rhythmic than melodic or harmonic...they add momentum and drive to any bass line." In musical notation, this is represented by an "X" or a note head in parentheses. Occurring in a rhythmic figure they are purposely deemphasized, often to the point of near silence. In popular music drumming these notes are played, "very softly between the 'main' notes," (off the beat on the sixteenth notes) most often on the snare drum in a drum kit.
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