Table of Contents
Notation reference
Rests
Rests are markings with a rhythmic value that indicate no note is played for that duration. Each note duration has an equivalent rest; for example, a quarter note rest is different to a sixteenth note rest.
Multi-bar rests
Multi-bar rests group two or more consecutive empty bars together into a single unit, commonly shown with a thick horizontal line positioned on the middle staff line, known as an H-bar. They can reduce the horizontal space required by multiple empty bars and make it easier for players to find their place in the music.

Multi-bar rests

Multi-bar rests group two or more consecutive empty bars together into a single unit, commonly shown with a thick horizontal line positioned on the middle staff line, known as an “H-bar”. They can reduce the horizontal space required by multiple empty bars and make it easier for players to find their place in the music.

Figure 1. A multi-bar rest representing four empty bars

Note

Multi-bar rests are automatically split by items positioned within their range, such as system-attached text, rehearsal marks, and holds and pauses. However, if items are positioned at the start of the first bar in a multi-bar rest, that bar remains part of the subsequent multi-bar rest.

You can hide/show multi-bar rests in each layout independently in Dorico Pro, and you can hide/show bar number ranges below them.

By default, the multi-bar rest bar counts only appear once between the staves of grand staff instruments.

You can find options for the project-wide appearance, design, width, and content of multi-bar rests on the Rests page in Engraving Options.