(RN) Rest Durations Lesson

Rest Duration 

Rest duration represents periods of silence in a measure.

Each type of rest shares a duration with a certain type of note.

For example, both a quarter rest and a quarter note occupy the same amount of time (1 beat).

While the note would make a sound, the rest is silent. To demonstrate this, let's fill a measure of 4/4 time with quarter notes.

Next, we will replace the second quarter note with a quarter rest. The second beat is now silent.

Let's discuss some other rests.

A whole rest occupies the same amount of time as a whole note. It is drawn as a box descending from the fourth staff line.

A half rest occupies the same amount of time as a half note. It is drawn as a box ascending from the middle staff line.

Like notes, rests can have flags. With one flag, an eighth rest has the same duration as an eighth note.

With two flags, a sixteenth rest has the same duration as a sixteenth note.

Although rarer, rests can have three or more flags. 

Use this chart for reference to rest duration.

A - Eighth Rest

B - Sixteenth Rest

C - Thirty-second Rest

D - Sixty-fourth Rest

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