Segno

What it means

The segno, Italian for 'sign,' is a notational symbol marking a specific point in the score to which a later jump, back or forward, refers. It has no sound of its own but serves purely as a reference point for repeat instructions.

Only in combination with an instruction such as dal segno ('from the sign') or al segno ('to the sign') does the segno gain its practical meaning.

In the notation

The segno is shown by a distinctive, stylized symbol featuring a large S, two dots, and a diagonal slash, placed at the point in the score that a later jump instruction refers to.

Musical use

The instruction dal segno calls for jumping back to the segno at a later point in the piece and playing again from there, usually up to a coda or to the end. Al segno conversely means playing up to the segno and continuing from there to a different, usually earlier point, or stopping there.

Segno instructions serve mainly to notate repeats of entire formal sections concisely, without actually writing the corresponding section out again, which saves space especially in longer forms such as arias, rondos, or pop songs.

The segno should be distinguished from the simple repeat sign, which repeats an immediately preceding section, and from da capo, which always jumps back to the very beginning of the piece, whereas dal segno leads back specifically to any marked point in the middle of the piece.

Performance practice

When learning a piece with segno instructions, mark the jump point clearly, for instance in color, so you don't overlook it while playing. Trace through the piece's form mentally once beforehand so you can anticipate jumps confidently, rather than searching for them mid-performance.