The Half Rest
A black box sitting on a line is called a half rest. It means there are two beats of silence. Do not play where you see a rest. We place small counting numbers under rests.
Remember to keep counting where you see a rest, even though you are not playing.
The Whole Rest
A black box hanging under a line is called a whole rest. It means there are four beats of silence.
Look carefully at the rests in this song. If the line is above the black box, it is a whole rest. If the line is below the black box, it is a half rest. When there are a lot of rests in the music, it is very important to keep counting and tapping your foot as you play.
The Quarter Rest
This symbol is called a quarter rest. It means there is one beat of silence.
There are many quarter rests in this song. Sometimes when there is a rest in the music for your instrument, other musicians in the group might still be playing something. Playing music in a group is often like having a conversation.
