Fermata

What it means

A fermata indicates that a note, chord or rest should be held beyond its written value. Our chord finder is free and useful here. More of this kind of thing is in the notation section.

The symbol is a dot with a curved line above it, resembling an eye or an arch, placed above or below the note.

The Italian means a stop or a pause. The alternative Italian term corona, crown, describes the symbol's appearance.

How long

Not specified, and that is deliberate.

The general convention is roughly double the written value, but this is a rough guide rather than a rule and is frequently ignored.

What actually determines it:

Musical context. A fermata at a dramatic climax may be very long. One at a phrase ending may be brief.

Style. Baroque fermatas are generally short. Romantic ones can be substantial.

Position. A fermata before a cadenza or a major change is usually longer.

Who is playing. In an ensemble, the conductor or leader decides and everyone follows.

The decision is interpretive, and different performances of the same work hold fermatas for noticeably different durations.

What happens to the pulse

The pulse suspends.

This is the defining characteristic. During a fermata the metre stops and time is measured by musical judgement rather than by counting.

That has a practical consequence: resuming afterward requires the pulse to be re-created. Whoever is leading gives a clear preparation, and in solo playing the player must re-establish the tempo internally.

The bars immediately after a fermata are frequently the least stable in a performance for exactly this reason.

On a rest

A fermata over a rest extends the silence.

This is used for dramatic effect and is often more powerful than a held note. A suspended silence draws attention.

The same rules apply: duration is a judgement, the pulse suspends, and resumption needs preparation.

On a barline

A fermata placed over a barline, rather than over a note, indicates a pause between the two bars: a break in the music rather than an extension of a note.

This is sometimes notated instead with a caesura, the two parallel diagonal lines sometimes called railroad tracks.

The distinction between them is not strictly observed and both indicate a break.

Bow management

The practical problem for a string player.

A fermata means a note of indeterminate length, and the bow has a finite length.

Options:

Plan a slow bow long enough to cover the expected duration.

Change bow during the fermata, hidden, which is standard practice for long fermatas and requires a smooth undetectable change.

Start near the frog on a down-bow so the whole bow is available.

In an ensemble, section players change bows at staggered moments so the section sound is continuous even though individuals are changing.

This is a real technique and it is worth knowing before encountering a long fermata in performance.

In an ensemble

The conductor holds the fermata and releases it with a clear gesture.

Players watch continuously. A player who looks away during a fermata will miss the release.

In chamber music the leader decides, indicating the release by breath and bow.

Ending together after a fermata requires everyone watching the same source.

Related markings

Caesura, two diagonal parallel lines, indicating a break. Sometimes called a grand pause or railroad tracks.

G.P., grand pause, a silence for the whole ensemble.

Lunga, long, written above a fermata to indicate an extended hold.

Breath mark, a comma above the staff, indicating a brief break, much shorter than a fermata.

The double fermata

Occasionally a fermata appears in one part and not another, meaning only that part holds. More often it applies to everyone.

Where a fermata appears over a final chord, the release is usually the end of the piece and the length is a matter of taste and acoustic.

How it is taught

Early, as one of the first symbols beyond note values.

The lessons that matter: it suspends the pulse rather than lengthening the beat, its duration is a judgement rather than a rule, and the resumption afterward needs deliberate preparation.

For string players specifically, bow planning is the practical skill and it should be taught the first time a long fermata appears.

Bow planning, specifically

The practical problem a string player faces and one nobody warns students about.

A fermata means a note of unknown length and the bow is finite.

Three approaches:

Plan a slow bow long enough to cover the expected hold. Requires guessing the duration, which is possible in rehearsed music.

Change bow during the fermata, hidden. Standard for long holds and requires a genuinely inaudible change, which takes practice.

Start near the frog on a down-bow so the whole bow is available.

In a section, players stagger their bow changes deliberately so the section sound never breaks even though individuals are changing.

Watching through it

In an ensemble, the release is given visually and a player looking at their music will miss it.

The discipline is to look up during a fermata and stay looking up until the release.

Students playing in youth orchestras frequently keep reading, then end a fraction after everyone else, which is audible.

Most students pick reading and notation up faster with weekly feedback than from any article. Private and group violin lessons are available in Sugar Hill, Cumming, Milton and Tucker. Reach us on 470-789-2422 or book a no-commitment evaluation lesson.