Question

What is a phrase?
A place of rest in music
a musical idea
a short recurring musical idea
A note to the preformer to play softly?

Answer 1

In music, a "phrase" typically refers to a musical idea or a short musical segment that expresses a complete thought, similar to a sentence in language. It is often characterized by its melodic contour and is usually made up of several measures.

The other options you mentioned can refer to different musical concepts:

- **A place of rest in music** might refer to a "cadence," which creates a sense of closure.
- **A short recurring musical idea** is often called a "motif."
- **A note to the performer to play softly** would be indicated by the term "piano" or the symbol "p" in sheet music.

So, in summary, the phrase you are looking for in relation to your question is primarily a "musical idea."