Repeat sign

Written once, played twice

The symbol library describes the repeat sign as the standard means of reducing notation in dance-like movements, suites, sonata form and song form. Two signs belong together: the start sign (dots to the right of the double barline) marks where the repetition begins, the end sign (dots to the left) where play jumps back. If the start sign is missing you repeat from the beginning of the piece. Where needed a number is added if it is to be repeated several times.

Both sides and with endings

The two-sided sign appears when one repeat ends and the next begins at once. That is typical of two-part dances in which each part is repeated (A A B B), for example in Baroque suites. First and second endings (marked “1.” and “2.”) are added when the repeat ends differently from the first pass.

Examples from the sheet music archive

Piano

• Soldatenmarsch Robert Schumann, op. 68 No. 2 · piano · 2/4 time, one sharp · 1 page

  From bar 17 the second part begins after a repeat sign (dots to the right of the double barline). At the end of the piece is its counterpart, with the dots on the left. The second part is therefore repeated.

• Menuett B-Dur from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), BWV Anh. 118 · piano · 1 page

  In the second line there are two brackets, the first marked “1.”, the second “2.”. When the first part is repeated, the first ending is skipped and play continues with the second. After that a second part begins after a further repeat sign.

Guitar

• Etüde Nr. 10 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 10 · guitar · 3/8 time · 2 pages

  After bar 16 there is a two-sided repeat sign with dots on both sides: it ends the repeat of the first part and opens the repeat of the second. That part begins in bar 17 with mf and the chord symbol A7.

Working with form

The building block Form labels sections with letters: A, then a contrasting part B, and on return A again. Repeat signs write such layouts down compactly. For jumps over longer stretches you use segno and da capo.