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The Common ToneWhere the Sacred and the Profane Share the Same Cup
The Common Tone · Visual Language of Music
X Notehead A notehead drawn as two short crossed strokes forming an X, in place of the usual oval.

X Notehead

also called: x note · cross notehead · dead note (guitar/bass usage)

A notehead drawn as an X instead of an oval, marking a sound with rhythm but no ordinary pitch.

What you do

Depends on the instrument's key or legend — on a drum staff, X noteheads are usually cymbals; on guitar or bass, a muted "dead" click; in vocal parts, spoken or semi-spoken delivery. The rhythm is exact; the pitch is approximate or percussive. When in doubt, check the chart's legend first.

In context

X Notehead — example One engraved measure on a percussion staff alternating x-shaped and oval noteheads on four quarter-note beats. Engraved by Verovio 6.2.1-8d42439
One drum-staff bar alternating x and oval noteheads. In this example the x noteheads are cymbal strikes and the ovals are drum strokes — one common reading. The x itself promises only exact rhythm without ordinary pitch: the chart's legend decides the sound.

Don’t confuse with

double-sharp
The double-sharp is a small x-like accidental placed BESIDE a normal oval notehead, raising its pitch; the X notehead REPLACES the oval itself.
ghost-note-drums
A ghost note keeps its round notehead but wraps it in parentheses — play it very quietly. An X notehead changes what kind of sound you make, not how loud.

See also

drum-set-key · ghost-note-drums

For specialists

SMuFL: noteheadXBlack
Record status: draft — verification pending (bookshelf locators + chord-symbol authority; OQ-1 blocks the slice gate)