Meaning & use
minim rest
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Meaning
nouncountablemusicspecialist
In music notation, a rest lasting two beats in a bar of four beats (half note rest).
Grammar: Countable: one minim rest, two minim rests.
The minim rest is written as a small black rectangle sitting on the middle line of the staff.
In this piece, the minim rest gives the singer a short break before the next phrase.
Count two beats of silence for each minim rest.
Word forms
| plural | minim rests |
|---|
Common combinations
- write a minim rest
- The composer wrote a minim rest to create a pause.
- count a minim rest
- You need to count a minim rest carefully to stay in time.
- a bar containing minim rests
- The opening bar contains only minim rests.
Synonyms and how they differ
- half rest
- The American English term for the same symbol; 'minim rest' is more common in British English.
Word family
- minim noun
- A note lasting two beats (half note).
- crotchet rest noun
- A rest lasting one beat (quarter rest).
Commonly confused: minim rest or minim? minim rest or semibreve rest?
minim rest vs minim
A minim is a note (sound), while a minim rest is a period of silence of the same length.
minim rest vs semibreve rest
A semibreve rest lasts four beats (whole rest), twice as long as a minim rest.
Practice
How many beats does a minim rest last in a standard 4/4 time signature?
Choose one answer.
A minim rest lasts for two beats, matching the length of a minim note. One beat would be a crotchet rest, and four beats a semibreve rest.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “minim rest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.