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A concluding section added after the main structural form is complete. Literally "tail."
A coda provides final closure. In Beethoven, codas become almost second developments — substantial sections that transform and resolve the material one last time. Write codas that do more than just repeat the tonic chord: bring back themes, resolve lingering tensions, provide a satisfying final statement.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, first movement — the coda is as long as the development, introducing new themes and building to the final peroration.
Coda is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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