POINT, in Music, a mark or note anciently used to distinguish the tones or sounds. Hence we still call it simple counterpoint, when a note of the lower part answers exactly to that of the upper; and figurative counterpoint when any note is syncopated, so that one of the parts makes several notes or inflections of the voice, whilst the other holds on one.
A point is still used to raise the value of a note, and prolong its time by one half. Thus a point added to a semibreve, instead of two minims, makes it equal to three; and so of the other notes.