Definition of Rest (music)
A rest is the absence of a sound for a defined period of time in music, or one of the musical notation signs used to indicate that.
The length of a rest corresponds with that of a particular note value, thus indicating how long the silence should last. Each type of rest is named for the note value it corresponds with (e.g. quarter note and quarter rest, or quaver and quaver rest), and each of them has a distinctive sign.
Terms mentioned above
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Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
- How do you draw a quarter rest with a pen/pencil? · Music SE
- Rest above a note in a piano piece · Music SE
- Where to rest your thumb when playing bass: Pickup vs. Strings vs. Thumbrests · Music SE
- Why you need a rest here in this score? · Music SE
- Origin of the 'squigly line' used for quarter note rest? · Music SE
- Fermata over a rest at the end of the piece? · Music SE
Further reading
- Primary variables of interest · Wikibooks: Engineering Acoustics
Frequently asked questions
What is Rest (music)?
A rest is the absence of a sound for a defined period of time in music, or one of the musical notation signs used to indicate that.