Which rest represents two beats of silence?

Which rest represents two beats of silence?

• A. Half rest
• B. Quarter rest
• C. Eighth rest
• D. Sixteenth rest

Answer: (A)

Two beats of silence is represented by the half rest. In common time (4/4), each beat is one count, so two counts of silence require a rest that lasts two beats, and the symbol for that duration is the half rest. It looks like a small rectangle sitting on top of the middle line of the staff. For reference, the other rest values are shorter: a quarter rest lasts one beat, an eighth rest lasts half a beat, and a sixteenth rest lasts a quarter of a beat. A whole rest lasts four beats, representing a full measure of silence.

Two beats of silence is represented by the half rest. In common time (4/4), each beat is one count, so two counts of silence require a rest that lasts two beats, and the symbol for that duration is the half rest. It looks like a small rectangle sitting on top of the middle line of the staff. For reference, the other rest values are shorter: a quarter rest lasts one beat, an eighth rest lasts half a beat, and a sixteenth rest lasts a quarter of a beat. A whole rest lasts four beats, representing a full measure of silence.