A rest is a pause by an instrument or group of instruments and is indicated in standard music notation by a rest symbol on the appropriate stave. There are rest symbols corresponding to each note value as well as a symbol for rests extending through multiple measures.
The rest symbol with the duration of a whole note, also called a whole rest or semibreve rest, is a small black rectangle that hangs from the second line from the top of the stave. This symbol is also used when a voice is silent for an entire measure, regardless of the actual time signature.
The rest symbol with the duration of a half note, a half note rest or minim rest, is very similar in appearance to a semibreve rest except that instead of hanging from the second line it sits on the middle line. A quarter note rest, also called a crotchet rest, resembles a skewed letter Z with a small letter C at its bottom and is placed in the middle of the stave so that its upper tip starts between the top two lines and its lower tip starts between the bottom two lines. An eighth note rest (quaver rest) resembles a small number 7 with a little blob on top of its upper left end and is placed between the second and fourth lines. Finally, a sixteenth note rest (semiquaver rest) resembles two quaver rests connected to each other vertically and its bottom tip sits on the bottom line of the staff.
As with notes, rests can also have a dot after them, increasing their duration by half, although this is less common than for notes. However, unlike the dots with dotted notes, any dots following rests are always placed in the second space from the top of the staff. Also in contrast to notes, rests cannot be tied together.