Rests are symbols that tell musicians to be .

silent or not to play for a specified duration of time.

Rests are symbols that tell musicians to be silent, or not to play any notes, for a specific duration of time. They are represented by various symbols or shapes, and each rest symbol corresponds to a specific length of silence. Rests are essential in music notation as they help to indicate the duration of silence between notes, ensuring the rhythmic accuracy of a musical piece.