Note colleague as little as possible (9)

I believe the answer is:

minimally

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'note colleague as little as possible' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'note colleague' is the wordplay.
'note' becomes 'minim' (minim is a kind of note).
'colleague' becomes 'ally' (I've seen this before).
'minim'+'ally'='MINIMALLY'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for minimally that I've seen before include "Almost negligibly" , "Imperceptibly" , "To the smallest degree" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app