![]() Longer pauses, called caesuras, indicate a suspension of time, a total (albeit momentary) halting of tempo and pulse. In a band or orchestra, the conductor will determine the exact duration. ![]() In fast tempos, a fermata usually indicates a brief pause at slower speeds, the fermata can be long and more drawn out. In this case, the fermata for the bottom part is placed upside-down below the staff, directly beneath its corresponding note or rest: Like all rules, though, there are exceptions, such as when the hold appears at two different locations in a measure of two-part (or divisi) music. It’s drawn as a half-circle with a dot centered along its bottom:įermatas should nearly always be written above the staff, and directly over the indicated note or rest: At its simplest, the fermata (or hold) is a sign that indicates the prolonging of a sound or a silence. Like most instructions in music, holds and pauses are notated in specific ways. On the other hand, a long-held note or chord can be used to highlight a musical climax, heightening tension and increasing the desire to hear what follows. Music that bubbles along is all well and good, and can be perfectly enjoyable (think of most of what you hear on Top 40 radio), but sometimes it’s good to meander-or even stop-to sniff the flowers along the way to your musical destination.ĭramatic pauses in music are the equivalent of an actor stopping in the middle of a speech to make eye contact with his audience: they grab the attention, making the listeners hold their breath in anticipation of what comes next.
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