Which term denotes a short, silent break in music?

• A. Blend
• B. Bridge
• C. Cadence
• D. Cesura

Answer: (D)

A short silent break in music is called a caesura. It marks a brief pause within a phrase, where the sound stops momentarily but the rhythm picks up again right after. It isn’t about ending a section with a final harmonic point (that’s a cadence) and it isn’t about moving to a contrasting section (that would be a bridge). It also isn’t a standard term for any kind of blend. In scores, you’ll sometimes see the caesura indicated by a // symbol, signaling performers to hold the silence briefly before continuing. Note that cesura is simply a variant spelling of the same idea; caesura is the common form.