Da capo al fine

As Printed on a Score

Printed at the end of a section — D.C. al Fine, usually below the final barline — sending the player back to the beginning; the word Fine marks where the piece then ends. Whether internal repeats are taken again varies; senza replica settles it.

Abbreviations: D.C. al Fine, D.C. al fine, D. C. al Fine

How Composers Use It

It saves rewriting a returning section: the minuet after its trio, the opening of a da capo aria. Make Fine easy to find, and say whether repeats are taken on the return. If the reprise changes at all — a new ending, a shortened return — write it out instead.

Example

Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, third movement (Menuetto), oboes, m. 88: “D.C. al Fine”, with “Fine” printed at m. 44 to mark where the return stops.

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