thirty-second rest: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical (Music)
Quick answer
What does “thirty-second rest” mean?
A symbol used in musical notation indicating a silence lasting for 1/32 of the duration of a whole note.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A symbol used in musical notation indicating a silence lasting for 1/32 of the duration of a whole note.
In a musical score, a symbol representing the shortest common measured silence, equaling half the duration of a sixteenth rest.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No difference in the musical term itself. Potential difference in the pronunciation of 'thirty'.
Connotations
Identical musical meaning and usage in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally technical and low-frequency in both dialects, confined to musical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “thirty-second rest” in a Sentence
The score contains a thirty-second rest.The thirty-second rest occurs on the third beat.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thirty-second rest” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The passage demisemiquaver rests on the 'and' of beat two.
American English
- The passage thirty-second rests on the 'and' of beat two.
adverb
British English
- [Not standardly used as an adverb]
American English
- [Not standardly used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- The demisemiquaver-rest value is crucial here.
American English
- The thirty-second-rest value is crucial here.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
[Not applicable]
Academic
Used in musicology, theory, and composition texts.
Everyday
Virtually never used outside of musical practice or education.
Technical
Core term in music notation, performance, and engraving software.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “thirty-second rest”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “thirty-second rest”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thirty-second rest”
- Misspelling as 'thirtysecond rest' (missing hyphen).
- Confusing it with a thirty-second note.
- Incorrectly counting it as a full beat in simple time signatures.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are identical. 'Demisemiquaver rest' is the British English term, while 'thirty-second rest' is the American English term.
Its duration is 1/32 of a whole note. In 4/4 time with a quarter note at 120 BPM, it lasts 1/16 of a second (0.0625 seconds).
Yes, it can appear in any time signature, but it is most common in complex, fast-paced music where very short durations are notated.
It resembles a forward slash (/) with three flags (or beams) attached to its upper right stem, centered on the third line of the staff (in treble clef).
A symbol used in musical notation indicating a silence lasting for 1/32 of the duration of a whole note.
Thirty-second rest is usually technical (music) in register.
Thirty-second rest: in British English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːti ˈsɛkənd rɛst/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːrti ˈsɛkənd rɛst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms exist for this specific technical term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a whole rest as a full second of silence. A thirty-second rest is like a 1/32nd of that second – an extremely brief musical 'blink'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SILENCE IS A MEASURABLE ENTITY / MUSICAL TIME IS SPACE (represented on the staff).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'thirty-second rest'?