Three beat rests and 3/4 time
A dotted half rest lasts three beats when a quarter note is one beat: two beats for the half rest, plus one more for the dot. For an entirely silent measure of 3/4 time, use a whole measure rest instead. Count "1 2 3" through the silence; the beat keeps going even when you do not play.
Practice counting rests in Unit 7New to Octotune? Start at Unit 1, or take a short placement test to reach a later unit.
Rest symbols and counts
These counts use a quarter note as one beat. A dotted half rest lasts three beats; a whole measure rest fills all three beats of 3/4. Group rests to show the beat clearly.
What rest lasts three beats?
The dotted half rest is the three beat rest: 2 + 1 = 3 quarter-note beats. The dot adds half of the rest's original length. It is a dot beside the half rest, not the dot on a repeat sign.
Duration and notation are different questions. A whole measure rest fills a complete silent measure, so it lasts three beats in 3/4 and four beats in 4/4. For silence within a measure, group the rests so the beats remain clear. In 4/4, a quarter rest plus a half rest, or a half rest plus a quarter rest, can show three silent beats more clearly than a dotted half rest, depending on where the silence starts.
Count a measure of silence
| Count in 3/4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole measure rest | Stay silent | Stay silent | Stay silent |
| Half rest, then quarter rest | Start the half rest | Keep resting | Quarter rest |
| Quarter note, then half rest | Play the note | Let go; start resting | Keep resting |
Say "1 2 3" at a steady speed in each row. Play the next measure on the next 1, rather than starting early after the silence.
The rests
| Rest | British name | What it looks like | Beats (in 4/4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole rest | Semibreve rest | A small block hanging below the fourth line | A whole measure |
| Half rest | Minim rest | A small block sitting on the middle line | 2 |
| Dotted half rest | Dotted minim rest | A half rest with a dot beside it | 3 |
| Quarter rest | Crotchet rest | A zigzag squiggle | 1 |
| Eighth rest | Quaver rest | A slanted stroke with a small hook | ½ |
To tell the whole and half rests apart: the half rest sits on the line like a hat; the whole rest hangs from the line like a hole. The whole rest also means "a measure of silence" in any time signature, including 3/4.
Counting through a rest
- Keep saying the numbers. A quarter rest on beat 3 of 4/4: "1 2 (3) 4", with your hands still on 3.
- Lift on time. A rest after a note means that note ends where the rest begins. Let go on the count.
- Don't rush. The most common rest mistake is starting the next note early. A rest is part of the music, not a gap to hurry across.
3/4 time
3/4 means three quarter-note beats in each measure. Count "1 2 3, 1 2 3", with the weight on 1. It is the time of waltzes and minuets, and of tunes like Amazing Grace and Happy Birthday.
In 3/4:
- a quarter note is 1 beat;
- a half note is 2 beats;
- a dotted half note is 3 beats: a whole measure on its own;
- there are no whole notes in the usual sense, because a whole note (4 beats) would not fit in a measure of three. A note lasting a whole measure of 3/4 is written as a dotted half.
Pick-ups
Many tunes in 3/4 (and 4/4) begin with a note or two before the first full measure: a pick-up (also called an upbeat or anacrusis). Happy Birthday starts on a pick-up: "Hap-py" comes before the first strong beat, "birth-". Count the missing beats silently before you start.
Common mistakes
- Rushing rests. Count them aloud, every time.
- Holding notes over rests. Let go when the rest begins.
- Counting 3/4 as 4. The dotted half is the sign: it fills a measure of three.
- Mixing up the whole and half rests. Hat on the line: half. Hole under the line: whole.
- Starting a pick-up on beat 1. Count in and let the pick-up lead into the strong beat.
How to practice
- Tap rhythms with rests on one key, counting aloud.
- Hands in the lap on every rest, for a few days. It makes the silence visible.
- Waltz the beat: say "1 2 3" and tap or step on 1.
- Play a 3/4 tune slowly with a metronome: Amazing Grace, or a minuet.
How Octotune helps
In Unit 7 of Octotune's adult path, rests come after the note values: a concept card ("a rest is counted"), then rhythms with quarter and half rests to tap on one key. Then three in a measure: strong, weak, weak, and the dotted half, before playing Amazing Grace in 3/4, in time. In Kids mode the first rest is "hands in your lap": play, then stop and wait. Open Octotune.
Next: Key signatures: G and F major.
Questions
What rest lasts three beats?
When a quarter note is one beat, a dotted half rest lasts three beats: two beats plus one from the dot. For an entirely silent measure of 3/4, the usual notation is a whole measure rest.
How do you write a whole measure rest in 3/4?
Use a whole rest centered in the measure, hanging below the fourth staff line. As a whole measure rest it means three beats in 3/4, even though a whole note lasts four quarter-note beats.
How many beats is a quarter rest?
One beat of silence, in 4/4 or 3/4. Count it like a quarter note, but don't play.
What is the difference between a half rest and a whole rest?
A half rest sits on top of the middle line, like a hat, and lasts two beats. A whole rest hangs below the fourth line, like a hole, and fills a whole measure of silence.
What does 3/4 time mean?
Three beats in every measure, each a quarter note long. Count 1 2 3, with the weight on 1. Waltzes and minuets are in 3/4.