To say 2020 was difficult , is probably the understatement of the year . The coronavirus pandemic turned 2020 into a really tough year . It affected our lives in many ways and made other serious issues even more difficult to address . There was also social and political unrest in the United States and other places around the world . All of this added up to one big , stressful year called 2020 . In fact , if 2020 were a song , it probably would be filled with low , depressing notes . In English , “low notes ” are unpleasant things that happen during an event , any event . So , if something ends on a low note , it ends in an unpleasant way . For example , once I took a fun vacation . But it ended on a low note . On the last day , all my money was stolen . Then my flight home was delayed . So , I had to sleep in an airport for two days ! Here is another example . A friend of mine used to be a good student . But then something changed . His high school years ended on a low note . He barely passed his classes and got into a fight with his teacher . Thankfully , life , music , and English also have high notes ! In English , a “high note ” is something pleasant or enjoyable . So , to end something on a high note is to end it with something pleasant . It can also mean to end something at the best possible point -- for example , at the point when something is most successful . Anything can be a high note , if you choose it to be . For example , 2020 was a disaster . But for me it ended on a high note . One cold night in late December , I saw an owl in a tree near my house . I love owls but had never seen one so close before ! That was a high note for me . Here is another example . Once I attended a wedding in Siena , Italy . The event was beautiful , the food delicious . After the wedding , I traveled to Rome to visit a friend's mother . She was an older woman with many great stories , and she was a great cook ! That trip definitely had many high notes , but it ended on the highest note ! Hopefully , all of us were able to end 2020 on a high note . How do we use high and low note ? Well , we can end something on a high note . We can also “finish something on a high note .” And you can “go out on high note ” or “leave on a high note .” Keep in mind , all these examples also work for “low note .” But let's keep our attention on the positive ! Practice using these expressions . What was a high note from your 2020 ? For this program , let's go out on a high note .