Music theory games > Lessons > Duration of sounds > Repeat signs > Repeat barlines

Repeat barlines

Simple repeat signs

Repeat sign indicates a staff section that should be repeat, you can consider repeat sign like mirrors.

simple repeat signs

start repeat sign this symbol is a start repeat sign.

end repeat sign this symbol is an end repeat sign and indicates to go back one time to the start repeat sign.

If there is no start repeat, you go back to the beginning of the movement.

Take a look at this animation:

On this staff (stave ), there are two repeat signs, it works like mirrors. The first measure (bar ) is played, nothing special.

The 2^nd measure is played normally, but you will have to memorize the location of the repeat sign, here it is simple because the staff has only one line.

The 3^rd measure is played normally.

The 4^th measure is played normally.

After you have fully played the 4^th measure, the repeat sign indicates that you should go back to the previous repeat sign.

The 2^nd measure is played again.

The 3^rd measure is played again.

The 4^th measure is played again.

Mission accomplished! We played the passage between the two repet signs, we can continue our way.

Repeat signs with first and second endings

The repeat can use a different ending, to do this first and second endings are used:

Repeat signs with first and second endings

- First ending is used the first time
- Second ending is used the second time (after you go back to the start repeat)

Take a look:

On this staff (stave), there are two repeat signs and measures with numbered brackets. Measure with first (1.) bracket is called first-time bar (or first ending) and the second (2.) is called second-time bar (or second ending).

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 2

The 1^st measure is played.

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 3

The 2^nd measure is played normally, but you will have to memorize the location of the repeat sign.

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 4

The 3^rd measure is played.

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 5

At the end of this measure called first-time bar (or first ending), there is a repeat sign, so we go back to the previous repeat sign.

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 6

We play one more time this measure.

Repeat signs with first and second endings, animation frame 7

And we jump to the second-time bar (or second ending), because we have already played the first-time bar.

Repeat signs with multiples endings

As with first and second endings, you can find multiple endings, like this:

Repeat signs with multiples endings

The first bracket (1. 2.) is used for the first and second repeat, and the second bracket (3.) is use for the end of the third repeat (the section is repeated three times).

Dal segno

Comments

Kumaresh Natarajan wrote on 12-02-2022 :

Thanks a lot for this useful website. Thanks once again.

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