Rests
A rest is a period of silence in music. Small count numbers are placed under rests.
The Half Rest
This black box is a half rest. It indicates two beats of silence.
The Quarter Rest
This symbol is a quarter rest. It indicates one beat of silence.
The Eighth Rest
This symbol is an eighth rest. It indicates half a beat of silence.
When a rest comes after you have played a note, you must stop the note sounding, i.e., stop the strings vibrating (muting them). This can be achieved by placing your left hand fingers lightly on the strings. Do not press too hard as this will produce a new note. When using the left hand fingers to mute a note, place it flat over all four strings as this is easier than just muting one string (see photo). This muting technique is also useful to stop previously played notes sounding at the same time a new note is played.
In the following 12 Bar Blues in A, all three of the above rests are used. Follow the count carefully and mute the strings when a rest is shown.
A staccato feel can be created by using an eighth rest. In the two bar riff below, the eighth rest occurs on the first half of the beat in the second bar.
The following riff uses an eighth rest and a tie.
The following progression is a Blues in the key of A minor.
