D.S. al Coda

Question: What does the marking D.S. al Coda mean? I know that D.C. al Fine means to go to the top of the page and play to the end, but I have never come across this marking. I am new to piano and am trying to learn by myself. Thank you for your help!

Answer: D.S. stands for "Del Segno" (sign). The D.S. al Coda means to go back to the "funny looking S" (the segno) and play to the Coda sign (or "to Coda" instructions). You then use then jump to the part that shows the word "Coda" and/or the Coda sign and play to the end.


D.C. al Fine is similar in that you go back to the Segno and play to the Fine.

Here are the two signs that you are looking for:
The Del Segno:

The Coda: