First and Second Endings (Volta Brackets)

Lesson 12 extends our work with repeat signs. First and second endings are used when a passage is repeated but the ending changes on the second pass.

Look at the notation below to see an example.

The numbered brackets are called the first ending and second ending (or volta brackets). On the first pass, play ending 1. After repeating the earlier passage, skip ending 1 and play ending 2.

The performance order in this example is:

A → B → C → D → A → B → C → E → F → G

There are also other possible placements of the endings, as shown below.

In this example, the order is:

A → B → C → D → E → F → D → E → G