Rests

In many pieces of music there are a few beats when one hand plays while the other 'rests'. In some music, both hands may rest for a few silent beats. Rests are counted in exactly the same way as notes:

LEFT HAND RESTS
In some tunes, the first and last bars do not have the full number of beats given by the time signature. This happens because the tune starts in the middle or at the end of the first bar. In these tunes count the missing beats before you begin playing to get the timing and rhythm right.
Count and play these examples:

Counting out the 'timing' is the secret to finding out how long each note or rest should last to make the music sound right. Always start counting slowly and evenly, so you understand the timing of the tune, before trying to play at the correct speed. If a few notes seem to slow up your playing, practise them on their own until you can play them at the same speed as other parts of the tune.

Make sure you understand everything so far, before playing the next tune.