Repeats and navigation signs – free music theory course

To avoid copying out whole passages, notation has "navigation" signs. So a score is not always read left to right in one go: you need to spot these road signs.

Repeat bar lines

The passage between |: and :| is played twice. If there is no opening sign, go back to the start of the piece.

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=110
K:C
|: C D E F | G2 G2 :| A A A A | G4 |]

First and second endings (voltas)

Often the end of the repeated section changes: the 1. bracket is played the first time, then you repeat; the second time you skip bracket 1 and go straight to bracket 2.

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=110
K:C
|: C E G E | F A G F |1 E D E2 :|2 D B, C2 |]

Order of play: bars 1-2-3 (1st ending), 1-2-4 (2nd ending).

Da capo, dal segno, coda, fine

Sign	Meaning
D.C. (da capo)	go back to the beginning
D.S. (dal segno)	go back to the sign 𝄋
Fine	end of the piece (on the repeat)
al Fine	"… up to the word Fine"
al Coda	"… up to the 𝄌 sign, then jump to the Coda"
Coda (𝄌)	closing section, the "tail" of the piece

D.C. al Fine:

M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=120
K:G
G A B | d2 B | A B A | !fine!G3 || B c d | e2 d | c B A | !D.C.alfine!D3 |]

Order: bars 1 to 8, back to the beginning, stop at the word Fine (bar 4).

D.S. al Coda:

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=110
K:C
C D E F | !segno!G A B c | "^To Coda"!coda!d c B A | !D.S.alcoda!G4 || !coda!c B c2 |]

Order: 1-2-3-4, back to the segno (bar 2), 2-3, then jump straight to the Coda (bar 5).

Other shorthands

Measure-repeat sign (a slash between two dots): replay the previous bar.
simile: carry on in the same way (articulation, pedalling…).
"3×" above a repeat: play it three times.

Before playing: scan the score and pencil in the order of play. Find every sign (|:, endings, D.S., 𝄋, 𝄌, Fine). You get lost in the middle of reading, not while preparing!

Classical convention: on a Da capo in a minuet or scherzo, the inner repeats are usually not taken again unless indicated.