A fermata (Italian: [ferˈmaːta]; "from fermare, to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be prolonged beyond the normal duration its note value would ...

What does a fermata instruct a musician do?

A fermata is a symbol that indicates the note should be prolonged beyond its normal duration. They can occur throughout a piece of music, but are most commonly seen at the end. In the example to the right, the whole note may be played for the equivalent of eight beats instead of four.

How long do you hold a fermata for?

Fermatas do not have a specific length. You would just hold the note longer than the value for effect typically at the discretion of the performer or conductor based on what kind of effect you want.