The Fermata: Meaning and Musical Expression

In Reading Music, Vol. 19, we study the fermata. This sign often appears at the end of a piece or at an expressive high point. Across musical styles, it tells the performer to hold a note or rest beyond its written value for an appropriate length of time. Here is the symbol.

First, look at the following score example.

Here is how the passage sounds when played with a fermata:

With the fermata, the ending has a moment of suspense and feels more conclusive. What happens without it?

Without a fermata, the music continues at a steady tempo and ends more directly.