Fermate

As Printed on a Score

The German name for the fermata sign (𝄐); on the page the sign does the work, and the word mostly appears where the hold’s length is specified (lange Fermate, kurze Fermate) or in performance notes. The hold applies to the note, rest or barline under the sign.

How Composers Use It

A fermata suspends the beat; its length is the performer’s choice unless you say otherwise. German composers often qualify it (lang, kurz), and modern scores may give a length in seconds. Over a barline or rest it means a silent hold; over a final chord, a natural close. Do not confuse it with Pause, which in German means a rest.

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