Barline
The barline is the vertical line that divides the staff into bars. It separates time units of equal length and shows the eye where a new counting section begins. With the double barline, final barline and repeat signs it also structures a whole piece.
- Job
- divides time into bars of equal length
- Helps with
- pulse, stress of the beats, counting bars
- Special forms
- double barline, final barline, repeat signs
- Important when reading
- accidentals apply until the barline
Dividing time into bars
According to the page Rhythm the bar divides time into units of equal length, separated by barlines. It gives the music its regular pulse and orders which beats are stressed. The time signature at the start of the piece consists of two numbers: the upper says how many beats fit into a bar, the lower which note value forms one beat. In four-four time every section between two barlines therefore contains four quarter notes.
The barline is also a boundary for the eye. The page German Song Sheets points to a common mistake with chord symbols: a symbol applies from the note above which it is written, not only from the next barline. If the D is written above the third beat, the accompaniment changes there.
Double barline, final barline and repeat
The page Notation symbols describes the special barlines more exactly:
| Sign | Appearance | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Barline | one thin vertical line | separates two bars |
| Double barline | two thin vertical lines | end of a larger section of form, without the piece ending |
| Final barline | thin line, then a thick line | final end of the piece or movement |
| Start repeat sign | thick-and-thin double barline with two dots on the right | beginning of a section that is repeated |
| End repeat sign | two dots on the left, then a thin-and-thick double barline | end of the repeated section: back to the start sign |
| First and second endings (prima and seconda volta) | bracket over the bar with “1.” or “2.” | two different final bars for the repeat |
According to the page the double barline is placed between sections of different character, for instance before a change of tempo, a new key or the start of a new movement. The final barline is the clear end mark: no further music of this work follows. In multi-movement works there is one final barline per movement.
Repeat signs work in pairs. Everything between the start and the end sign is repeated exactly once. If the start sign is missing, you repeat from the beginning of the piece. According to the page the volta brackets make it possible for the same section to have two different exits: an open ending for the repeat and a closed one for the transition.
Barlines in the score
Two sheets from the archive show the different forms:
Piano
-
Menuett B-Dur BWV Anh. 118, from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach · piano · 1 page
Both parts are repeated and each has two different final bars under the brackets “1.” and “2.”. The repeat sign comes at the end of the first bracket each time. The last bar carries a fermata and ends with a final barline.
Guitar
-
Etüde Nr. 7 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 7 · guitar · 2 pages
Before bar 9 there is a double barline, which begins a new section. It also carries the repeat sign for the beginning of a repeated section.
In both cases it is worth looking at the structure: if you have recognised the repeat signs and brackets, you know how often which part sounds.
Counting bars
When discussing passages you give the bar numbers. In the bar references of this glossary an upbeat counts as bar 0, the first full bar is bar 1. Some editions begin the count differently. With a bar reference, therefore, check which bar the edition counts as the first.
Common mistakes
- Overlooking repeat signs: The piece is then played too short.
- Playing the volta bracket along: On the second pass you skip bracket “1.” and play bracket “2.” directly.
- Carrying an accidental across the barline: An accidental applies only until the barline.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
Bar / measureTime signatureRepeat signFirst-time bar (prima volta)Seconda voltaFour-four timeUpbeatAccidental (in the bar)
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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