Half rest: symbol, beats and how to spot it
A half rest is a small filled rectangle sitting on top of the middle (third) line of the staff. In 4/4 it lasts 2 beats, half a whole rest. In British English it is a minim rest. Remember: the half rest is a hat.
The half rest is a short black block that sits on the middle line of the staff, a bit like a small hat resting on a shelf. It stands for two beats of silence in 4/4 time, just as a half note stands for two beats of sound. It is easy to confuse with the whole rest, but the position tells you which is which.
What does a half rest look like?
A half rest is a small filled rectangle that sits on top of the middle line of the staff. The bottom edge of the rectangle touches the line, and the rest rises up into the space above. It has the same shape as the whole rest, but it sits on the line instead of hanging below it.
How many beats does a half rest get?
In 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4, where the quarter note gets one beat, a half rest lasts 2 beats. It is the same length as a half note, two quarter rests or four eighth rests. In 4/4 two half rests fill a measure. In 3/4 a half rest plus a quarter rest fills the measure.
In 2/2, where the half note gets the beat, a half rest lasts only 1 beat. The symbol is the same, but its meaning follows the time signature. A whole measure of rest in 2/2 would be written with a whole rest.
| Time signature | Beat note | Length of a half rest |
|---|---|---|
| 4/4 | Quarter | 2 beats |
| 3/4 | Quarter | 2 beats |
| 2/4 | Quarter | 2 beats (a full measure) |
| 2/2 (cut time) | Half | 1 beat |
The hat and hole memory trick
Both the half rest and the whole rest are black rectangles, so musicians use a rhyme to remember them. The half rest sits like a hat on top of the middle line. The whole rest hangs like a hole from the fourth line. The "hat" is smaller in value, and the "hole" is bigger.
Memory trick: Hat on the line is half, hole below the line is whole. Say it out loud a few times and it sticks.
How to count a half rest
In 4/4, count "1 2 3 4." A half rest on beats 1 and 2 means you stay silent while you say "1 2" in your head, then play on 3. A half rest on beats 3 and 4 means you play on 1 and 2 and then rest for two counts. Keep tapping your foot through the rest so that you come back in exactly on time.
Where does a half rest go in a measure?
By habit, a half rest is written to fill beats 1 and 2 or beats 3 and 4 of a 4/4 measure. When a two-beat silence starts in the middle of the measure, on beat 2, it is usually written as two quarter rests instead, because that makes the beats easier to see. A half rest also fits with a quarter rest in 3/4, as the first two beats followed by a single beat.
Dotted half rest
A dot after a half rest adds half of its value, so a dotted half rest lasts 3 beats. It fills most of a 3/4 measure and can fill a full measure there, although a whole rest is more common for full measures.
Half rest, minim rest and other names
In British English, the half rest is a minim rest, named after the minim, which is a half note. The symbol is the same in all countries.
How the half rest relates to other rests
Two half rests equal one whole rest. One half rest equals two quarter rests. Its matching sound is the half note. The rests overview shows all rest symbols side by side with their note partners.
Half rests are common at the ends of phrases in songs, where the voice rests for two beats before the next line begins. Singers use that time to breathe. In a band, a half rest often shows where the drums or other instruments fill the gap, so counting it correctly keeps everyone together.
Practice by clapping a simple pattern such as two quarter notes followed by a half rest, saying the count aloud. On the half rest, open your hands and say 3 4 quietly. Then repeat with the rest first. Switching between the two keeps you alert to where the silence falls in the measure.
Common mistakes
- Placing it below the line in your own writing. Half rests sit on top of the line.
- Counting it as 1 beat. In 4/4 it lasts two.
- Mixing it up with the whole rest. Remember: hat on top for half.
Next, learn the shortest of the three common rests on the quarter rest page, or go back to the full list of note values.
Check yourself
1. Where does a half rest sit?
Answer: On top of the middle line. The half rest sits on the third (middle) line, like a hat.
2. How many beats does a half rest get in 4/4?
Answer: 2. A half rest matches the half note, which gets two beats in 4/4.
3. What is the British name for a half rest?
Answer: Minim rest. Minim is the British name for the half note, and so for its rest.
4. How many half rests fill one measure of 4/4?
Answer: 2. Each half rest lasts two beats, so two fill the four beats of a measure.
5. What rest is shown here?
Answer: Half rest. A black rectangle sitting on top of the middle line is a half rest.