## Half Rest

A half rest is a small filled rectangle sitting on top of the middle line of the staff. It means two beats of silence in common time.

Whole rest hangs, half rest sits. Some people remember it as the whole rest being heavier, so it falls below the line — silly, and it works.


## How To Spot Half Rest

A block resting on the third line. Compare it with a whole rest, which hangs from the fourth.


## Find It In Thirty Seconds

Find a half rest, count two beats of silence, and come in exactly on the next beat. Coming in early after a rest is the most common ensemble mistake there is.

Open any piece of sheet music on this site and do it now. Reading is a recognition skill, and recognition is built by finding things, not by reading about them.