We need to look at any
Repeats in our music score(s), before we sit down to play them.
Just like driving somewhere new, sensible folk plan their route, with a map.
In the same way you need to know your route through the piece you have selected.
Sometimes this is very simple, but it can on occasions be extremely complicated.
Repeats, not only save on printing, but prevent you having to turn over countless numbers of pages, while you are playing. It also means that you can get all the music on to your music stand!
Take a song like
The Twelve days of Christmas, which if written out in full would extend over several pages, but can be compressed into just a single sheet by using the appropriate repeats.
Here we start to look at different types of repeats, that you find on music scores.
1 Simple RepeatsThese will always have an
End Repeat sign, (when the dots face you – i.e. are on the left hand side of the double bar lines) and may, but not necessarily, have a
Start Repeat Sign (when the dots face away from you – i.e. are on the right hand side of the double bar lines).
If there is Start Repeat Sign, you just play through it, because the dots are on the far side of the double bracket.
But when the dots effectively face you, which is called the
End Repeat sign, you have to return to the commencing point of the repetition.
The commencing point will be the Start Repeat Sign, if there is one, but if not, you have to return to the very beginning of the music score.
This diagram should make this clear:
Remember there may not be a Start Repeat Sign, and if so, you must return to the very start of your music score and start again, when directed to do so by the End Repeat Sign.
In the next Reply, we examine First and Second Time Endings
Peter