{"id":29413,"date":"2023-06-19T12:35:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T10:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=185705"},"modified":"2023-06-19T12:40:15","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T10:40:15","slug":"what-is-an-octave-in-music","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/what-is-an-octave-in-music\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an octave in music?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We explain the meaning of the term ‘octave’ and how it relates to musical range <\/p>

By BBC Music Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 19 June 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Whether you\u2019re learning to play an instrument<\/a> or having singing lessons, the musical term \u2018octave\u2019 is likely to be one of the first you\u2019ll encounter.<\/strong><\/div>\n\n

What is an octave?<\/h2>\n
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An octave is the term used to describe the run of eight notes included in a scale<\/a><\/strong>, going between two notes with the same name. Using the musical key<\/a><\/strong> of C major as an example, there is another C both an octave below and an octave above middle C, and so on:<\/p>\n

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What is the difference between octave range and vocal range?<\/h2>\n
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The range of notes that can be played on any given instrument, as well as the range of notes a singer is able to hit, is usually measured in octaves, therefore a singer\u2019s octave range gives an indication of their vocal range (how many different notes they\u2019re able to hit).<\/div>\n
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When talking about octaves in terms of musical range, you\u2019ll typically see numbers assigned to the notes. For example, middle C is also known as C4, as it\u2019s the fourth C on a standard-sized piano keyboard. Therefore, if a singer is able to hit all the notes from C3 (the C below middle C) to C5 (the C above middle C), for example, it means they have a vocal range of two octaves.<\/div>\n
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What does \u20188va\u2019 mean in music?<\/h2>\n
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When reading music on a score, you may spot a section of notes with \u20188va\u2019 or \u20188\u2019 followed by a dashed line above the stave (or staff). This indicates that the notes below the dashed line should be played an octave higher than the notes written on the stave<\/a><\/strong>.<\/div>\n
This is done as it tends to be easier to read music in this way and it makes it easier to fit the notes within the space available on the score. The same principle is used to indicate the notes should be played an octave lower, by placing the dashed line below the stave (accompanied by \u20188vb\u2019 instead of \u20188va\u2019).<\/div>\n
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You might find the use of \u20188va\u2019 across a whole section, a few phrases or even just a few notes on a score. You can find examples of the use of \u20188va\u2019 on scores for everything from Chabrier\u2019s Idylle and Liszt<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s Consolation No 3 to Debussy<\/a>\u2018<\/strong>s Clair de Lune and Yann Tiersen\u2019s Comptine d\u2019un Autre\u00a0\u00c9t\u00e9.<\/span><\/div>\n\n
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More musical terms explained<\/h4>\n