repeat bar

Repeat signs in piano music.
Image © Sidney Llyn

Meaning of Repeat Barline

A repeat bar is a musical symbol resembling a final barline with two dots in the middle spaces of the staff. A passage written between two repeat bars will be played at least two times*:

||: Begin Repeat (or “left repeat”): If there is an ‘end repeat’ but no begin bar, you’ll repeat from the beginning of the song. Upon completion of the repetition(s), continue to the measures following the end repeat.
:|| End Repeat (or “right repeat”): If the end repeat is also the final barline, the song will end after the repetitions.

* If a repeated passage has two or more different resolutions, volta brackets are used. Learn More:

Also Known As:

  • repeat sign
  • la ripetizione (It)
  • barre de reprise (Fr)
  • das Wiederholungszeichen (Ger)

More Italian Music Commands:

▪  : "from nothing"; to gradually bring notes out of complete silence, or a crescendo that rises slowly from nowhere.

▪  decrescendo: to gradually decrease the volume of the music. A decrescendo is seen in sheet music as a narrowing angle, and is often marked decresc.

▪  delicato: “delicately”; to play with a light touch and an airy feel.

▪  : very sweetly; to play in a particularly delicate manner. Dolcissimo is a superlative of "dolce."

Reading Piano Music
▪  Sheet Music Symbol Library
▪  How to Read Piano Notation
▪  Illustrated Piano Chords
▪  Tempo Commands Organized By Speed
Beginner Piano Lessons
▪  Notes of the Piano Keys
▪  Finding Middle C on the Piano
▪  Intro to Piano Fingering
▪  How to Count Triplets
▪  Musical Quizzes & Tests
Getting Started on Keyboard Instruments
▪  Playing Piano vs. Electric Keyboard
▪  How to Sit at the Piano
▪  Buying a Used Piano
Forming Piano Chords

▪  Essential Piano Chord Fingering
▪  Comparing Major & Minor Chords
▪  Diminished Chords & Dissonance

Reading Key Signatures:

  • All About Key Signatures
    Everything you need to know about the accidentals & key signatures.
  • Use the interactive key signature locator to identify or double-check your key.
  • There are always two keys that relate to one another more than any other key. Find out what this means.
  • Comparing Major & Minor
    Major and minor are often described in terms of feelings or mood. The ear tends to perceive major and minor as having contrasting personalities; a contrast that is most obvious when the two are played back to back. Learn more about major and minor scales and keys.

Learn About Enharmony:

  • The 6 Enharmonic Key Signatures
    If you’re familiar with the circle of fifths (or you just know your way around the key signatures) you may have noticed a few anomalies. Some keys – like B-sharp and F-flat major – are seemingly absent, while others go by two names
  • The Inefficient Keys
    The circle of fifths shows only the working scales. But, if we expand on its pattern, we can see that it’s actually more of an infinite spiral, so there’s no end to the possibilities of musical scales.
  • Table of Working & Non-Working Keys
    See a clear visual of which keynotes are workable and which would be redundant.
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