A quarter rest is equal in time value to a quarter note. It’s a period of silence that lasts for one beat in 4/4 time. What this means is that for the duration of one beat, no note should be played. It has one-fourth the value of a whole rest. In other words, four 1/4 rests equals one whole rest while two 1/4 rests equals one half rest. Another name for this rest is crotchet rest (British).
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To explain note and rest values, I need to talk briefly about time signatures. Time signatures indicate two things. The top number tells us the number of beats in a measure, and the bottom number tells us the type of note that gets one beat. So a 4/4 time signature indicates that there are 4 quarter notes per measure.
To better understand the quarter rest, let’s take a look at thequarter note. In the first example below, each note lasts for one beat. These are all quarter notes. If you have a metronome, you can set it to about 60 beats per minute or count “1-2-3-4”. Play the note, F on your piano on each beat. Each time you play the note you will be playing a quarter note.
However in our second example, two notes are left out. You have to rest twice. Count “1-2-3-4” out loud. Count steadily. You must have an equal amount of time between beats. You only play F on the second and fourth beats, and rest on the first and third beat. 
In our third example, play F on the first and third beats and rest on the second and fourth beats.
In our fourth example, play F on the second and third beats and play nothing on the first and fourth beats.
How to Draw a Quarter Rest
The diagram below shows you how to draw a 1/4 rest (crotchet rest).
Step 1. To draw a quarter rest, start in the middle of the top space and draw a line slanting down from left to right. Stop in the middle of the next space.
Step 2. Next, draw a line slanting down from right to left. Stop on the middle line.
Step 3. Now draw another line slanting from left to right stopping in the middle of the next space.
Step 4. Finish drawing the rest by drawing a curled line almost like the letter “c”. Be sure your “c” stops in the middle of the first space.
Here’s another diagram:
Free piano lesson about rests, note values and time signatures.
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