In some scores a formula is given to indicate the order in which the tunes should be played. Each part of each tune is assigned a different letter.
The symbols used are as follows:
| * (asterisk) | Repeat the following part(s) as many times as required. |
| _ (underscore) | Stop and wait before the ‘dance off’. |
| ( and ) | Enclose two or more parts which are played sequentially, observing any repeat marks. |
| . (stop) | No significance - used to make the formula readable by indicating when one tune changes to another. |
| A or B or C etc. | Denotes a part of the tune - usually a 4, 8 or 16 bar phrase. |
| 1 or 2 or 3 etc. | The number of times to repeat the following part(s). |
Some examples:
| A | Play A part once |
| 3B | Play B part 3 times |
| 2(CD) | Play C part followed by D part twice |
| 4EF | Play E part 4 times followed by F part once |
| *(AB) | Play A part followed by B part and repeat until ready (or finished) |
| D_A*B | Dancers stop after D part, then dance off to B part which is repeated as required. |