OTTAVA volts

What does 8va octave mean?

an Octave (Latin, octavus, literally meaning “eighth") is sometimes abbreviated to 8ve. 8va stands for ottava - the Italian word for octave. The notation 8va (as seen in sheet music) means to play this an octave higher than written. However, what about the notation 8vb? What does that mean? Is there a difference between 8va and 8vb? Let's find out!

What does 8va mean in music?

Written music originated in Italy, thus the words are often written in Italian. 8va is a symbol that means ottava (oh-TAH-vah) in Italian. Ottava in Italian, stands for octave. An octave is 8 notes. You can then know to play the music exactly as written, only one octave either higher or lower.

What is the difference between 8vb and 8va?

8va is an abbreviation for "ottava" ("octave" in Italian) and is commonly used both for higher and lower octave shifts. The key difference is the placement of the dashed line: aligned to the top for "octave higher" and aligned to the bottom for "octave lower". 8vb is also sometimes used to indicate an octave lower.

Where can I find ottava lines?

Ottavas are available in the Lines palette of the Basic and Advanced workspaces. 8va alta/bassa lines are particularly common in piano scores, though they are sometimes used in other instrumental music. 1 15ma alta (2 octaves above) and 15ma bassa (2 octaves below) are also occasionally used.

How do you write 8va / 8vb / octave below a note?

If the 8va or 8vb is written below the note (to play one octave lower), we need to add a vertical line going up towards the staff. To indicate that multiple notes, a phrase or a section of music is to be played one octave higher, the 8va sign is written above the first note.

How do I add a vertical line to an 8va octave?

If the 8va is written above the note (to play one octave higher), we need to add a vertical line going down towards the staff. If the 8va or 8vb is written below the note (to play one octave lower), we need to add a vertical line going up towards the staff.