Fermata vs Pause

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Fermata	Pause
Definition	A held note or rest; pause at the performer's discretion.	A fermata; an instruction to hold a note or rest beyond its written duration.
Category	notation	navigation
Pronunciation	fehr-MAH-tah	PAWZ
Origin	Italian	English
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	hold pause bird's eye	Fermata Hold
Antonyms	—	—
Usage	The conductor lingered on the fermata, stretching the silence before the final chord.	The pause on the dominant chord builds suspense before the soloist enters with the cadenza.

Definition: A held note or rest; pause at the performer's discretion.
Category: notation
Pronunciation: fehr-MAH-tah
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: hold pause bird's eye
Usage: The conductor lingered on the fermata, stretching the silence before the final chord.

Definition: A fermata; an instruction to hold a note or rest beyond its written duration.
Category: navigation
Pronunciation: PAWZ
Origin: English
Synonyms: Fermata Hold
Usage: The pause on the dominant chord builds suspense before the soloist enters with the cadenza.