Segno
The stylized S signpost from which a dal segno repeat begins
Related
Segno (𝄋) means "sign". Shaped like a stylized S with a slash, it plants a signpost for the return route. It gives no instruction alone and works only with D.S.: when the player meets D.S. at the end of a section, the way back is the bar carrying the Segno.
Its position shapes the form. Near the opening, the effect is close to D.C.; in the middle, only the second half returns. It often joins Fine or the coda sign to make a "go—return—stop" or "go—return—jump" route. Place it on a clear barline, distinct from the coda sign.
A common mistake is to confuse the Segno with a repeat sign. A repeat sign comes in pairs and loops on the spot; the Segno is a single signpost that needs D.S. to start.
Sources
- Segno 记号与 dal segno 的配合方式，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Segno"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.