Pieces that consist of one note (a single pitch)
sounded once (sustained or decaying but not repeated)
by a single performer:


Eric Andersen: Opus 27 [1962]

Pierre Baillot: "Coup d'Archet Lent" from L'art du violon [1834] score

Erik Carlson: One-note-played-once pieces: link
Erik Carlson: Same, but specifically within an hour duration: link

Michael Caterisano: Middle C for One Hour [2026]

Johnny Chang: Haiku for Erik [2026]

Philip Corner: One Note Once [1976]

D. Edward Davis: aperture [2016]

Eva-Maria Houben: only one 1 [2026]

Evan Johnson: di sotto in sù [2017]

Joseph Kudirka: One Bow Stroke Lasting 30 Seconds [2011]

György Ligeti: Trois Bagatelles [1961]

Stephen "Lucky" Mosko: happy [2004]

Pauline Oliveros: One Sound Once [1971]

Yoko Ono: Secret Piece [1953]

Michael Pisaro: Diminishing Time [2000]

Sophie Stone: Selections from postcard-sized pieces [2020]

James Tenney: Having Never Written a Note for Percussion [1971]





Pieces that could be played as a single note once
by a single player, but the score allows for other options
(more players and/or more notes):


Ryoko Akama: tada no score #7 [2014]
Ryoko Akama: tada no score #12 [2014]

Dick Higgins: Constellation #4 [1960] score

Michael Pisaro: a moment [2000]
Michael Pisaro: Only (harmony series no. 17) [2006]

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Unlimited [1968]

Manfred Werder: violine 1997
Manfred Werder: 2007(1)

Michael Winter: a tone for one or more strings [2004]





Other sources of one-note-once music
that may or may not be considered composed pieces:


William Gardiner: transcription of a struck half-crown coin, from "The Music of Nature" [1832] score

F. Schuyler Mathews: transcription of the dive of a nighthawk, from "Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music" [1904] score

Marin Mersenne: The single permutation of 1 pitch, from "Harmonie universelle" [1626] score

A hunting horn signal to call one's companions, as described in Jacques du Fouillou's "La Venerie" [1561] score
3 more hunting horn calls, as described in L.C.R. Cameron's "The Hunting Horn" [1910] score

A single tone used to get illegal free long distance calls (a blue box), as described in 73 Magazine [June 1975] description

A fragment of Ancient Greek music that contains only one note [3rd century BC] description

Catagorized by Pöhlmann & West as Fragment 52 of entry no. 6 in their book "Documents Of Ancient Greek Music"
PAP. ASHM. INV. 89B/29-32