Caesura (railroad tracks)
A caesura breaks the flow with unmetered silence between notes or phrases. The ensemble resumes together, normally at the leader's signal; unlike a breath mark, it is a collective break rather than time borrowed mainly from the preceding note.
- Holds and pauses
- Above the staff
- A slash
Do not confuse it with
A caesura is usually two slashes between events; a fermata is centred on a note or rest and prolongs it.
What the sources say
- LilyPond Notation Reference — Caesuras
The \caesura command calls for unmetered silence: typically, a short break in sound that does not shorten the previous note.
- Other Aspects of Notation
A caesura indicates a break or a musical cutoff.
- Glossary
A caesura (//) is a brief, silent pause. Time is not counted for this period, and music resumes when the director signals.