Pause vs Rest

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Pause	Rest
Definition	A fermata; an instruction to hold a note or rest beyond its written duration.	A notated period of silence of a specified duration.
Category	navigation	notation
Pronunciation	PAWZ	REST
Origin	English	Latin (restare, to remain)
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	Fermata Hold	silence pause
Antonyms	—	note sound
Usage	The pause on the dominant chord builds suspense before the soloist enters with the cadenza.	The dramatic rest before the final chord forces the audience to hold their breath — two beats of charged silence.

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.

Definition: A notated period of silence of a specified duration.
Category: notation
Pronunciation: REST
Origin: Latin (restare, to remain)
Synonyms: silence pause
Antonyms: note sound
Usage: The dramatic rest before the final chord forces the audience to hold their breath — two beats of charged silence.