D.S. al Coda indicates which action in performance?

• A. Return to the start
• B. Stop and rest
• C. Play to the Coda Sign
• D. Play a note an octave higher

Answer: (C)

D.S. al Coda is about how to move through repeated sections and where to jump in a piece. It tells you to go back to the Segno sign and then continue until you reach the Coda symbol, at which point you jump to the coda section. The option that fits best is the one that describes playing from the Segno to the Coda Sign. In other words, you return to the Segno, then carry on until you encounter the Coda sign and proceed to the coda. This isn’t a instruction to return to the very start, stop and rest, or transpose an octave.