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A repeat sign is a musical symbol that tells the performer to play a section of music again. It is one of the most common navigation symbols used in written music.
What is a repeat sign?
A repeat sign consists of a double barline with two dots. When an ending repeat sign is reached, the performer returns to the corresponding starting repeat sign or, if no starting repeat sign is present, to the beginning of the piece. After the repeated section has been played again, the music continues beyond the repeat sign.
Repeat signs reduce unnecessary duplication in written music and make scores easier to read and navigate.
How is a repeat sign used in piano playing?
Piano players frequently encounter repeat signs in sheet music, lead sheets and songbooks. Understanding how repeat signs work helps performers follow the structure of a piece accurately without writing out repeated passages.
Learning common navigation symbols such as repeat signs makes sight-reading easier and improves confidence when performing from written music.