A certain time span filled with musical action, as opposed to the pause which is a certain period of inactivity. The duration of a phrase can be short, middle or long and has to be estimated by the musicians themselves. Here is a list of suggested ranges:
| duration | range (sec) |
| short | 1 - 4 |
| middle | 2 - 8 |
| long | 4 - 16 |