Question about repeats and D.C. al Fine

2005-04-15 11:07 pm

I apologize for such a basic question....

I have a song that I'm transcribing. It begins with a master repeat open. The staves' ending bars end with a master repeat close. Half way through is a Fine. At the end of the song is a D.C. al Fine.

Does the song get sung completely through twice (the repeat) and then return to the beginning until the Fine (the D.C. al Fine), or does the song get sung completely through once and then return to the beginning until the Fine?

The reason I ask is because if I enter the song into NWC2 with a normal section close ending each staff, explicitly insert a master repeat close at the end and put the D.C. al Fine after the master repeat close, scenario one above (sung through twice, then from beginning until the Fine) is played, but the printed page doesn't look right. If I make the staves end with a master repeat close and put the D.C. al Fine at the end of the staff (obviously inside the master repeat since a master repeat ends each staff) like it's printed on the page I'm transcribing, the song prints correctly but plays scenario two above (once through completely, then plays until Fine).

I expect the first scenario is correct, but I wanted to verify. Either way, I'm going to have to keep two copies of the song (one for printing and one for playing) which I was going to end up doing anyway for other reasons. I am also aware that if the song should be played through twice before the D.C. al Fine, I can make that happen with hidden local repeats and still have the printed page look correct.

Does anyone mind clarifying the correct playback for me? Did I even describe this well enough to not confuse you? I also apologize for being a bit wordy, but I wanted to describe this as clearly as I could.

Thanks!

Re: Question about repeats and D.C. al Fine

Reply #1 – 2005-04-16 04:17 am

if you want the song to play all the way through twice, don't make the end of staff a master repeat close but mannually anter them a special bar lines then put the D.C al fine after the repeats. the way you have it the song stops before it even hits the closing repeats

Re: Question about repeats and D.C. al Fine

Reply #2 – 2005-04-16 05:51 pm

I believe it is correct to play the song completely through one time only, and on the repeat, end at the fine (A B A).

There is no theoretical need for the repeat signs when DC is used, but they are a courtesy with the written DC al Fine command conveying the actual playing directions.

NWC plays back correctly. If the DC al Fine is placed immediately before the Master Repeat Close, then NWC never reads the Master Repeat Close because it does the DC before it gets to it, and stops at Fine.

This layout will play back A B A and is "correct:"

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4
|Key|Signature:F#
|Tempo|Tempo:300|Pos:10
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatOpen
|Text|Text:"A"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:16
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up
|Flow|Style:Fine|Pos:10|Justify:Right|Placement:AtNextNote
|Bar|Style:Double
|Text|Text:"B"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:16
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:2
|Flow|Style:DCalFine|Pos:16|Justify:Right|Placement:AtNextNote
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatClose
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

If you want to play A B A B A, and still only write one version of the tune, use a 1st and 2nd ending:

Code: [Select · Download]

!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4
|Key|Signature:F#
|Tempo|Tempo:300|Pos:10
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatOpen
|Text|Text:"A"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:16
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up
|Flow|Style:Fine|Pos:10|Justify:Right|Placement:AtNextNote
|Bar|Style:Double
|Text|Text:"B"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:16
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0
|Bar
|Ending|Endings:1
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:2
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatClose
|Ending|Endings:2
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:2
|Flow|Style:DCalFine|Pos:16|Justify:Right|Placement:AtNextNote
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

With this, there is no need to make two versions of the song. If you ever want to add to it or change it, you only have to work on one file, instead of making sure your changes are made in a second file as well.

Instead of the first and second endings, you could just write a (text) note to the musician telling him/her to play the piece all the way through twice before DC al coda. The musical notation is more concise, though, and allows musicians who don't read the English to understand your intentions.