Fermata (pause / bird's eye)
A fermata holds a note, chord or rest beyond its written duration and suspends the normal pulse. The amount is not fixed: the performer, leader or conductor judges it from the musical context.
- Holds and pauses
- Above the note
- A curve or arc, A dot
Do not confuse it with
A fermata is centred over or under a timed event; a caesura sits between events and creates silence.
What the sources say
- Other Aspects of Notation
A fermata indicates that a note should be held longer than its regular duration.
- Breaths and pauses
A fermata, or pause appears above/below a note, and extends its written duration, indicating a pause in the music.
- Gerou and Lusk, Essential Dictionary of Music Notation
The length of a fermata is determined by the performer and is relative to the musical situation.