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Form and sustain

Fermata

Hold the note or silence beyond its written value at a musically judged length.

See it in the score

Final fermata in Bach's C-minor Prelude

The pause lets the closing harmony settle beyond its ordinary written value.

Open measure 38 in the piece
Final fermata in Bach's C-minor Prelude From Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847 by J.S. Bach, source measure 38.

Passage playback follows the literal encoded notes, rhythm, tempo, and written directions in this excerpt. It is a study aid, not a model of a pianist's touch, phrasing, ornament realization, or pedal technique.

In a sentence

Hold the note or silence beyond its written value at a musically judged length.

A fermata suspends ordinary measured time around a note, chord, or rest. Its duration is not fixed by the symbol alone.

Placement often reveals its purpose: it may crown a cadence, open space before a new section, or let a final harmony resonate. Coordinate the release as carefully as the arrival.