A rest is a symbol that marks silence in music, just like a note has a pitch and a duration, a rest has a duration but no pitch.
Its common types: Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth, Sixteenth, Thirty second, each halving the duration of the last.
Half · 2 beats
Quarter · 1 beat
Eighth · 1/2 beat
Sixteenth · 1/4 beat
Thirty second · 1/8 beat
Dotted
Tied (never used)
Every rest matches the duration of its equivalent note. Dotted rests add half their value again, and unlike notes, rests can never be tied together.
Rests in music are symbols that notate silence, marking pauses of specific lengths within a piece. While listening to a song, it’s common to overlook the rests that make up the pauses and silences. However, rests contribute to music’s structure, expression and rhythm just as much as the notes do. Understanding and recognising rests is essential when reading and writing music. In this article, we’ll cover the different rest symbols and their durations, multi-measure and dotted rests, how rests are grouped, and a few exercises to help you practise them.
What is a rests in music?
In music theory, we use rests to indicate silence. Understanding these rests is crucial for piano playing. A rest in music, much like a notated pitch, has its own duration — some rests last a full bar, others last a fraction of a beat. Exploring each rest symbol and duration helps you understand its function and role in written music. Being able to interpret these symbols quickly when playing enhances your ability to read and perform music effectively.
Why rests matter
As we have seen, rests are often overlooked by beginners, but they matter a lot when you’re playing music and learning music theory.
- Rhythm and pacing: Rests keep the underlying pulse steady even when no notes are being played.
- Musical phrasing: They act like punctuation (such as commas or periods) in written sentences, letting the music breathe or adding tension.
- Accuracy: Rests are not places to zone out — musicians must count the beats silently through a rest to stay in time with the rest of the ensemble.
Different types of rests in sheet music and their symbols
As with the rhythmic symbols associated with pitch, rests also have symbols to show their duration. These symbols have varying degrees of commonality, and you’ll see some in sheet music more than others. Rests generally fall into two groups: the common rests you’ll see in almost every piece, and a few less common ones used for longer or more complex silences. Let’s break down all the different rest types and how to use them.
Common types of rests
These are the five rest symbols you’ll encounter in almost every piece of music, each matching the duration of its equivalent note. From the whole rest’s four beats down to the sixteenth rest’s quarter-beat, learning to recognize them at a glance is essential for reading rhythm accurately. We’ve also included the thirty-second rest here, since it follows the same pattern and rounds out the full set.
Whole rest (Semibreve)
The whole rest or semibreve rest looks like this:
The whole rest is shown by use of a rectangular musical symbol. This rest hangs from the fourth line of the staff. A whole rest is equivalent to a whole note in duration. In a 4/4 time signature, like the whole note, the whole rest spans four beats. This symbol is also used to show a bar of silence in any time signature, regardless of the number of beats in a bar.
Half rest (Minim)
A half rest or minim rest looks like this:
This rest has the same duration as two beats.
Quarter rest (Crotchet)
A quarter rest or crotchet rest looks like this:
The quarter rest, or crotchet rest, is equivalent in duration to a quarter note. The quarter rest symbol notates one beat of silence.
Eighth rest (Quaver)
An eighth rest symbol looks like this:
An eighth rest lasts for half a beat. Therefore, two eighth rests equal one quarter note, just the same as two eighth notes.
Sixteenth rest (Semiquaver)
A sixteenth rest or semiquaver rest looks like this.
A sixteenth rest features two flags, just like the sixteenth note has two flags or beams. Similar to the sixteenth note, this rest symbol lasts for one quarter of a beat.
Thirty-second rest (Demisemiquaver)
A thirty-second rest has three flags, just like the thirty-second note has three flags or beams. This rest symbol lasts for one eighth of a beat.
Less common types of rests
Now that we’ve covered the rests you’ll encounter most often, let’s look at a few less common and more complex types of rest notation.
Multi-measure rests
When rests are continued for multiple bars to save space and make it easier for musicians to keep track of bars, multi-measure rests are used. The number over the top of the staff shows how many bars to rest for.
Dotted rest
Dotted rests add half the value of the original rest to create a longer duration, just like standard dotted notes. For example, a dotted half rest (minim rest) lasts for the duration of a half note plus a quarter note (three beats total), while a dotted quarter rest lasts for a quarter note plus an eighth note (one and a half beats total).
This extension allows for more nuanced and diverse rhythmic patterns in music, enriching the overall texture of the composition. You can learn about this and much more with online piano lessons from Skoove.
Ties and connecting rests
There is one major difference in the way rests and pitched notes are written. While notes can be lengthened by connecting them with a tie, rests cannot. This helps keep rests grouped evenly and music easy to read.
Notes and rest chart
Let’s take a look at a handy chart showing the different types of musical rests, their symbols, and how long each rest lasts, including a few less common examples.
Grouping
In music, grouping organizes beats within measures, reflecting the time signature’s natural metric stress, while rests signify silence. Together, they shape rhythm and phrasing, ensuring clarity and expression. Proper grouping of notes and rests simplifies sight reading and performing.
This: Not this:
The example in the first bar clearly shows the middle of the bar. This helps musicians keep track of the strong beats easily while reading. The second bar has a rest covering this middle point, which can make reading more difficult.
Rests exercises and how to count them
Let’s take a look at some fun, interactive Skoove lessons to put our newfound rest knowledge into action. As you play each exercise, keep the beat going through every rest by counting the beats out loud or tapping your foot.
For example, count “3-4” during a two-beat rest on the third beat before playing the next note. This turns counting rests into a repeatable habit and helps you stay in time. Remember, rests are just as important as notes, so count them the same way.
Our house and rest symbols
“About Damn Time” by Lizzo
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
The rest is up to you
Mastering rest symbols is a vital skill for musicians. Knowing your rests ensures the intended pauses and silences are conveyed well, enhancing the overall impact of a piece. Whether marking brief pauses or multi-measure silences, these symbols are crucial for interpreting music accurately. Incorporating tools like Skoove’s interactive lessons can help you develop this essential skill effectively.
FAQ
A rest in music is a symbol that tells a musician to stay silent for a specific length of time. Just like notes represent a pitch and a duration, rests represent silence and a duration, and they’re just as important for keeping the rhythm steady.
Each rest has its own symbol. A whole rest hangs below the fourth line of the staff, a half rest sits on top of the middle line, a quarter rest looks like a small zigzag, and eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second rests each add an extra flag to a small diagonal stroke.
It depends on the type of rest. In 4/4 time, a whole rest lasts four beats, a half rest lasts two beats, a quarter rest lasts one beat, an eighth rest lasts half a beat, and a sixteenth rest lasts a quarter of a beat. Dotted rests add half again to that value. See the chart above for a full breakdown of rest values.
The main types are the whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second rest, each matching the duration of its equivalent note. There are also multi-measure rests, which show several bars of silence at once, and dotted rests, which extend a rest’s duration by half its original value.
A rest is also called a musical rest or a rest sign, all three terms refer to the same symbol indicating silence in music notation.
Identify the rest’s value, then count the beat silently (or tap your foot) for its full duration before playing the next note, for example, counting “3, 4” through a two-beat half rest on beats three and four of a bar.
Author of this blog post:
Vicki Young
Vicki Young is a pianist and singer with a degree in Music from the University of Sheffield. She lives in London, UK with her husband and son. Vicki is a communications and marketing freelancer who has worked with a range of organizations across the music and charity sectors.
Published by the Skoove team
