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In a piece I am learning the sheet music suggests I should play in one octave, when the piece is performed in a different octave. I need help figuring out the notation.

Consider the following piece of sheet music:

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From listening to the piece, I know that bars 4 and 5 repeat bars 2 and 3, but an octave higher. However it is non-obvious to me that this should be the case from the sheet. Bar 4 switches to treble in the left hand, so that is clearly a higher octave. But the right hand notation doesn't change from bars 2 and 3 to bars 4 and 5.

Am I missing something? Or is the sheet ambiguous?

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22

Looks like bars 4 and 5 are missing the 8va sign applicable to the treble clef. Without it, both hands will be fighting for room.

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    You're assuming (probably correctly, to be fair) that it's to be played on piano - but that's not the only possibility (e.g. it could be played, without the hands fighting, on an organ with multiple manuals... though I don't know enough about how organ music is typically notated to know if that's likely!)
    – psmears
    Mar 13, 2020 at 11:17
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    @psmears - I am indeed. Based mainly on the treble and bass clefs bracketed. if 'twere on organ, there would more likely be one treble and a bass clef, with another bass clef for pedals, I think.
    – Tim
    Mar 13, 2020 at 11:51

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