Navigation

By Kelvin Sholar

To navigate is to plan a route using a roadmap. In music, musicians plan a route through written music using Italian navigation markings. In particular, navigation markings in music help musicians plan when to repeat a section of music, and when to jump to other parts of written music.

Navigation markings include repeat markings which are placed at the beginning and the ending of sections of written music which are to be played exactly the same way twice.

Italian navigation markings are used when the performer is to jump around written music to different sections. Segno means “jump to this point”. Capo means “the beginning of a part”. Fine means ending. Coda means “end part”.