Which term indicates to return to the beginning of a piece and play until a specified point?

The term that indicates to return to the beginning of a piece and play until a specified point is "DC al fine." This instruction is derived from Italian, where "Da Capo" means "from the head" or "from the beginning." The "fine" indicates the ending point in the music.

When a musician sees this term written in the score, they will repeat the music starting from the beginning and continue playing until they reach the section marked "fine," which signifies the end of the repeated section. This structure is often used to create a sense of resolution and completeness in a piece, emphasizing certain themes or motifs.

In contrast, while other terms like "repeat sign" refer to playing a section of music again, they do not specify returning to the beginning of the piece alongside an ending mark. "Da Capo" alone initiates the instruction but does not include the endpoint, and "Al Fine" simply indicates a final point without the directive to return to the start.