Music A-Level
Fermata
What Fermata means in Music A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Fermata
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Fermata in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
A symbol in a musical score, a dot with a semi-circle above it, indicating where a pause occurs.
Topics that use Fermata
- Area of study 1: Western classical tradition 1650–1910 (compulsory) - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Antecedent phrase
- Antiphonal texture
- Aria
- Articulation
- Balanced phrases
- Bass suspension
- Basso continuo
- Binary form
Using Fermata in the exam
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