fermata

American  

[fer-mah-tuh, fer-mah-tah] / fɛrˈmɑ tə, fɛrˈmɑ tɑ /

noun

Music.

plural

fermatas,

plural

fermate

1. the sustaining of a note, chord, or rest for a duration longer than the indicated time value, with the length of the extension at the performer's discretion.

2. a symbol placed over a note, chord, or rest indicating a fermata.

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fermata British  

/ fəˈmɑːtə /

noun

1. music another word for pause

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Etymology

Origin of fermata

1875–80; < Italian: stop, pause, noun use of feminine of past participle of fermare to stop < Latin firmāre to make firm. See firm ¹, -ate ¹

Explanation

When playing or singing from sheet music, you may come across a fermata, a symbol that looks a bit like an eye with an eyebrow: 𝄐 . That’s when it’s above the note. Below the note, it’s turned upside down: 𝄑 Fermata is an Italian word for a stop or a pause, from the Latin word fermare, "make firm." A note with a fermata symbol on it is meant to be held longer than its exact value for expressive effect. The length is at the discretion of the conductor or performer, so if you’re in a choir or orchestra, you need to pay close attention to the conductor so you know when to move on from the note.

Example Sentences

I think that misses the point, because to hold the fermata with a single down bow requires great control of muscles.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2022

That hold is marked in the score by a fermata, the musical sign that means just keep going.

From Time • May 25, 2016

But between each verse, the strings freeze in exquisite tension, a fermata sometimes lasting a full thirty seconds—an unheard-of moment of stasis in anything resembling a pop song.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 10, 2015

The piece ends as mysteriously as it began, with a sonorous pianissimo fermata.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2010

When a note has a fermata on it, you hold it for about twice the length of time.”

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin