Silence (music)

Figure 1. Quiet.

In music, a silence or pause is a sign that graphically represents the duration of a given pause in a piece of music. The graphic way of indicating the relative length of a silence is through the use of a series of various symbols whose features are modified, such as their location on the staff or the number of hooks they have.

When a silence appears on the staff, it means or tells us that we should not play that part, that is, where the silence is... Reflecting further, we could affirm that silence in music is so important and so fundamental in this art as the blank canvas for the painter, the pauses between words for the poet, the stillness for the dancer and the empty spaces for the architect.

Silences and figures

Each musical figure has its corresponding silence that represents its same value or duration. Rest is considered to be a note that is not played. The combination of rests used to mark the pauses follows the same rules as for musical figures. For more information see musical figure.

Silence has two functions:

• Separate musical prayers.
• Provide a time of rest (and breathing, in the case of singers and wind instruments) to the musical interpreter.

The following table shows the different types of rests, both those currently used and those that have fallen into disuse, together with the musical figures to which they correspond and the relative value they have in a 4/4 time signature.

Name	Silence	Figure	Value
Silence of maximum (In disuse)			324{displaystyle {frac {32}{4}}}}
Longa silence (In disuse)			164{displaystyle {frac {16}{4}}}}
Silence of square (In disuse)			84{displaystyle {frac {8}{4}}}}
Round silence			44{displaystyle {frac {4}{4}}}}
Silence of white			24{displaystyle {frac {2}{4}}}}
Black silence			14{displaystyle {frac {1}{4}}}}
Silence of corchea			18{displaystyle {frac {1}{8}}}}
Semi-curve silence			116{displaystyle {frac {1}{16}}}}
Silence of fuse			132{displaystyle {frac {1}{32}}}}
Semi-fuse silence			164{displaystyle {frac {1}{64}}}}
Silence of tick (In disuse)			1128{displaystyle {frac {1}{128}}}}
Semigarrapate silence (In disuse)			1256{displaystyle {frac {1}{256}}}}

The silence of black can also be found represented as in ancient music. Samples of the oldest form are found in works by the English music editors of the early twentieth century, for example in the vocal score Requiem Mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, edited by William Thomas Best and published in London: Novello, 1879.

Figure 2. Relative value of silences.

The silence that represents the unit of duration is the round. Each single value equals two of its immediate silence, like so:

• a round silence equals two white silences;
• a white silence equals two black silences;
• a silence of black equals two silences of corchea;
• a silence of corchea is equivalent to two silences of semicorchea;
• a silence of semi-cutchea equals two silences of fuse;
• a fuse silence equals two silences of semi-fuse.

Likewise, we can establish other relationships on the basis of those just mentioned, for example in 4/4 a whole note rest is equivalent to four quarter note rests, an eighth note rest is equivalent to eight semi-26 rests, etc.

One bar rest

When there is a whole bar without notes, also called holding bar, it is represented with a whole note rest regardless of the specific bar it is in. The only exceptions are for 4/2 time signature (four half notes per bar) and for bars shorter than 3/16, in which a square rest is normally used to represent a full bar rest.

For a 4/2 bar it is also common to use a whole note rest instead of a square rest, so a full bar rest for all bars from 3/16 is represented by a rest. round. Some publications of musical pieces, generally old, place the numeral "1" above the silence to confirm the extension of the silence. Occasionally in autograph and facsimile manuscripts, measures without notes are sometimes left completely empty, possibly even without staves.

Multi-bar rest

In instrumental music rests of more than one measure in the same meter and key may be indicated by a multi-measure rest showing the number of rest measures. These types of rests are usually represented according to one of the following two methods:

• By means of a thick and long horizontal line placed on the middle line of the staff, with auctions on both ends; or by thick diagonal lines placed between the second and fourth lines of the staff. But this second option is much less used than the previous one, although a small number of editors apply this method which is more common in modern manuscripts, regardless of the number of pause compases it represents.

Figure 3. Silence of 15 compass.

• The old system of notation of silences of multiple compass stems from the Baroque's notational conventions that were adapted from the system of mensural silences of the Middle Ages. This system represents this kind of silence through a series of symbols according to Figure 4. The amount of pause compass to be reached to represent in the score using the first method is largely a matter of personal taste. Most editors use ten as the point of change. However, other major and smaller points of change are used especially in ancient music.

Figure 4. Old system of notation of silences of several compases, which is still in use.

In both cases, the number of measures that a rest of these characteristics should last is indicated by a number printed above the staff. It is generally represented in the same size as the measure numbers. If a change of rhythm or key occurs during a multi-bar rest, the rest should be broken up as necessary for clarity, noting the change of key and/or rhythm between the rests. This also applies in the case where there is a double barline marking phrases or musical sections.

Dotted silence

A rest, like a musical figure, can be prolonged by dots, which are represented after the rest sign and increase its duration by half. However, it is used less frequently than with notes, except occasionally in contemporary music written in compound time such as 6/8 or 12/8. In these bars the longstanding convention has been to indicate a rest pulse as a quarter note rest followed by an eighth note rest, equivalent to three eighth notes.

Silence cannot be prolonged by using ligatures.