Coda

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as CODA or Coda at the start of the closing section, often beside the coda sign (a circle crossed by two lines). In repeat schemes the sign marks both the jump point (al Coda, To Coda) and the coda itself, and D.C. al Coda, D.S. al Coda or a worded instruction such as e poi la Coda tells the player when to take the jump.

How Composers Use It

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.

Example

Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”), third movement, flutes, m. 249: “CODA” — reached after the instruction “D. C. Scherzo e poi la Coda” sends the orchestra back through the Scherzo.

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