Rest (music)

interval of silence in a piece of music, marked by a rest symbol indicating the length of the pause

A rest is a musical note that indicates no sound.

Each rest symbol and name corresponds with a particular note value for length of time. The rest shows how long the silence should last.

Normal rests

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American English British English Multiplier Symbol
Longa Longa rest 4  
Double whole rest Breve rest 2  
Whole rest Semibreve rest 1  
Half rest Minim rest 12  
Quarter rest Crotchet rest 14  
Eighth rest Quaver rest 18  
Sixteenth rest Semiquaver rest 116  
Thirty-second rest Demisemiquaver rest 132  
Sixty-fourth rest Hemidemisemiquaver rest 164  

Multiple bar rests

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Fifteen bars' rest

If a rest should last for multiple bars, it is shown by a thick horizontal line in the middle of the staff, with short vertical lines at each end. The number of bars of the rest is written over the top.