“Coda” is an Italian word meaning “tail” or “ending,” and it’s used in music notation to indicate the concluding section of a piece.

In sheet music, it is represented by the symbol “・コーダ” (the coda symbol), and serves as a marker for jumping to a specific section of the piece.

When the instruction “To Coda” appears during a performance, the player should jump to the place marked with the coda symbol and continue playing from there.

How to Use the Coda Symbol

Here is a concrete example of how the “・コーダ” (coda symbol) is used in sheet music.

D.C. al Coda (Da Capo al Coda)

Return to the beginning of the piece (Da Capo), and continue playing until the “To Coda” instruction appears.

Then, jump to the section marked with the coda symbol to finish the piece.

D.S. al Coda (Dal Segno al Coda)

Go back to the segno symbol (“・セーニョ“), then follow the “To Coda” instruction to jump to the coda symbol (“・コーダ“).

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Conclusion

When reading piano sheet music, it’s important to properly understand repeat signs such as the coda symbol.

Use this article as a reference to fully understand the role of the Coda!