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Notation & Symbols

Da Capo (D.C.)

Pronounced dah KAH-pohWritten as D.C.

Definition

Da capo, abbreviated D.C., is Italian for 'from the beginning'. It tells you to go back to the start of the piece and play again, usually as far as the word Fine or until a jump to the coda.

Da capo is Italian for "from the head", meaning from the beginning. Written as D.C. near the end of a piece or section, it sends you back to the very first bar to play again. Most of the time it comes with an instruction that says where to stop.

A treble-clef staff in 3/4 with four bars. Bar 2 has a half note C and a quarter rest; the word Fine is printed above the rest at the end of the bar, which closes with a double bar line. D.C. al Fine is printed above bar 4, which ends with a final bar line.
Play all four bars. At D.C. al Fine go back to the beginning and play again until Fine at the end of bar 2: bars 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2. The audio follows that route.

The common versions

  • D.C. al Fine: go back to the beginning and play until the word fine ("end"), then stop.
  • D.C. al Coda: go back to the beginning, play until "To Coda" or the coda sign, then jump to the section marked coda and play it to the end.
  • D.C. on its own: go back to the beginning and play the whole piece again, through to the final bar.

Compare dal segno (D.S.), which sends you back to a sign partway through the piece instead of to the very beginning.

Repeats after a D.C.

By convention, when a D.C. sends you back, you skip repeats the second time around and play only the last of any endings. Some editions say this in words; if the score asks for the repeats, take them. When in doubt, ask your teacher or conductor.

Da capo in larger forms

The instruction has given its name to two well-known shapes, both A–B–A (ternary form):

  • In a Classical minuet and trio, the words "Menuetto da capo" after the trio send the players back to play the minuet again.
  • In Baroque opera and oratorio, the da capo aria has an A section, a contrasting B section and then a return of A, which singers traditionally decorated with ornaments of their own.

Practice reading the route in Navigation Signs and Trace the road map.

Common questions

What does D.C. al Fine mean?

Go back to the beginning and play until the word Fine, then stop.

What is the difference between D.C. and D.S.?

D.C. (da capo) sends you back to the beginning. D.S. (dal segno) sends you back to the segno sign, somewhere later in the piece.

Practice it: free worksheets