Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

Pete and Repeat

Almost all music has repetition. A single measure may be repeated, a

small section, or a large section. There are several ways to indicate these

repeats in a piece of music.

Repeat a Single Measure

The following sign is used to show that a specific measure is to be

repeated:. If there is a number with this sign, say a “2”, then the

previous two measures are to be repeated.

Example 10.4 A two-measure repeat.

Section Repeat

A section repeat is shown with two sets of dots at the beginning and end

of the measures to be repeated. The second set of dots tell you to go back

to the previous two dots. If there are no previous dots, then the repeat

goes back to the beginning of the piece.

Example 10.5 A section repeat.