sixty-fourth rest: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/TechnicalTechnical/Formal
Quick answer
What does “sixty-fourth rest” mean?
A musical notation symbol indicating a silence lasting one sixty-fourth of the duration of a whole note.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A musical notation symbol indicating a silence lasting one sixty-fourth of the duration of a whole note.
A very short pause or break in a musical performance, often used in complex, fast-paced passages.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use the same term.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations in musical contexts.
Frequency
Equally rare and technical in both varieties; used only in specialised sheet music.
Grammar
How to Use “sixty-fourth rest” in a Sentence
The [piece] contains a sixty-fourth rest.Play up to the sixty-fourth rest.Replace the note with a sixty-fourth rest.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sixty-fourth rest” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The sixty-fourth rest passage is fiendishly difficult.
- He missed the sixty-fourth rest entry.
American English
- The sixty-fourth rest passage is incredibly tricky.
- She penciled in the sixty-fourth rest marking.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in advanced music theory, composition, and analysis.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary domain; used in musical scores, instrumental tutorials, and conducting.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sixty-fourth rest”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sixty-fourth rest”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sixty-fourth rest”
- Incorrect plural: 'sixty-fourths rest' (correct: 'sixty-fourth rests').
- Confusing it with a 'thirty-second rest'.
- Assuming it has a fixed time duration (it's tempo-dependent).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Its duration is not fixed in seconds; it lasts 1/64th of a whole note, so its actual length depends on the tempo (beats per minute) of the piece.
No, it is very rare. It appears primarily in highly virtuosic, complex, or contemporary classical music to notate extremely brief silences within very fast passages.
It resembles a forward slash with four hooks (or flags) attached to its stem. It is the rest equivalent of a sixty-fourth note (hemidemisemiquaver).
It is commonly called a 'hemidemisemiquaver rest'. However, the term 'sixty-fourth rest' is also widely understood in British musical contexts.
A musical notation symbol indicating a silence lasting one sixty-fourth of the duration of a whole note.
Sixty-fourth rest is usually technical/formal in register.
Sixty-fourth rest: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɪk.sti ˈfɔːθ rest/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɪk.sti ˈfɔrθ rest/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's over in a sixty-fourth rest (metaphor for something extremely brief).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a clock: a whole note is 60 minutes, so a 64th note/rest is about one second—an extremely short tick of silence.
Conceptual Metaphor
SILENCE IS A MEASURABLE SPACE (within the temporal 'space' of a bar).
Practice
Quiz
What is a sixty-fourth rest?