Rhythm & Meter
Quarter Rest
A quarter rest is a zigzag symbol that lasts as long as a quarter note: one beat of silence in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 time.
The quarter rest is the zigzag symbol in the middle of the staff. It lasts as long as a quarter note, so in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 it is one beat of silence. In British English it is called a crotchet rest.
Drawing a quarter rest
It takes a little practice to draw. Many students think of it as a slanted letter Z with a small c hooked onto the bottom, drawn in the middle of the staff. Some older editions, especially British ones, print the quarter rest as a mirror image of the eighth rest, so do not be surprised if you meet that shape.
Rests on the beat
Quarter rests often fall on strong beats, and that gives a rhythm its character. In the example below, the right hand rests on beat 1 of each of the first three bars and enters on beat 2, while the left hand plays the downbeat. Count the rest aloud ("1") and you will come in with confidence.
Counting and playing quarter rests
- Keep the count going: a quarter rest takes up one full beat.
- Stop the resting voice exactly on the rest. On the piano, release its keys while allowing any other voice to continue, and use the sustain pedal as the score and style require; on a wind instrument, stop the sound.
- Use the rest to prepare the next note, not as a break in your counting.
A dotted quarter rest lasts three eighth notes: one and a half quarter-note beats, or one dotted-quarter beat in 6/8, where it fills half the bar.
Learn the shapes with The Rests and The Rest Family, and practice counting through silence with Keep the Pulse Through Silence.
Common questions
How many beats is a quarter rest?
One beat in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, the same as a quarter note. Two eighth rests equal one quarter rest.
How do you draw a quarter rest?
Think of a slanted letter Z with a small c hooked onto the bottom, drawn in the middle of the staff. Practice it a few times slowly; speed comes later.
