27
votes
Why use 5 or more ledger lines below the bass clef instead of ottava bassa lines for piano sheet music?
Let's look at your first example, the Saint-Saëns.
Yes, if there was ONLY the lowest C, it would be difficult to read and an 8vab line would help. But the higher C, on just two ledger lines, is easy ...
- 90.6k
15
votes
Why use 5 or more ledger lines below the bass clef instead of ottava bassa lines for piano sheet music?
First, musicians should learn to read lots of ledger lines. If you are frustrated by them, that’s an important thing to focus on for your studies until you can read them easily.
Second, it is harder ...
- 56.3k
14
votes
Why use 5 or more ledger lines below the bass clef instead of ottava bassa lines for piano sheet music?
Read the top pitch of the bass part and then read the ledger lines below as intervals.
Ex. If I know that two ledger lines under the bass is C and then the interval under that C is a sixth, then I ...
- 55k
12
votes
How can I overcome '8va' for a few notes?
Just write them where they will be in 8va, as in an octave lower than they are right now. A reader will have more of a clue as to what's happening like that. So the G# will sit on the second line up, ...
- 190k
11
votes
Accepted
Why aren't octave clefs used in piano notation?
it's easy to read and doesn't have any extra visual clutter.
That's exactly why it's hard to read. With ledger lines and ottava brackets you have something there reminding you continually that you'...
- 20.6k
10
votes
Accepted
What's this odd '+8vb' marking with a dashed line?
+8vb means those notes are played one octave lower than written. Otherwise they would be on leger lines and more tricky to read. Also found as 15vb meaning two octaves lower. And the opposite is 8va ...
- 190k
10
votes
Accepted
8 below note played as octave or singular note?
This notation is incorrect, but it does save space here (better would be "col 8" or "col 8vb" but "+8vb" or "col 8vb" are often used): the E should be played in ...
- 19.6k
9
votes
Why aren't octave clefs used in piano notation?
The problem with octaved clefs is that these are quite uncommon and easy to overlook. Usually we do want the visual clutter of ottava brackets, because it should be clear from one short look from a ...
- 18.8k
9
votes
Accepted
8va or clef change?
As AndyB commented, this depends heavily on the instrument in question. Us cellists get quite used to jumping amongst bass, tenor, and treble, with stacks of ledger line anyway .
By comparison, you ...
- 14.9k
8
votes
Different Piano Octaves
Well, purely theoretically, a three-octave transposition would be 22ma. A four-octave transposition would be 29ma. You just keep adding 7 to each previous number.
However, don't use these. No one ...
- 12.4k
8
votes
Ledger Lines vs. 8va notation
Players of any instrument should be comfortable with up to 3 ledger lines. Measure 2 should be perfectly readable.
For many instruments, writing the part in the correct octave without an 8va mark is ...
- 22.3k
8
votes
Accepted
When to use 8va in musical notation?
Flute or violin players can read as many ledger lines as you want, but extended passages in the very high register (A6 and above) are often easier to read if you use the 8va symbol. Once you get to ...
- 19.6k
8
votes
Accepted
In a classical guitar score, when a section plays very low notes, is it better to use 8va bassa, G clef transposed 1 octave down or the F clef?
In my opinion, none of those is good. They all have one thing in common: they will confuse anyone who will be reading your score, and for several reasons:
If you're going to change what the dots on ...
- 6,215
7
votes
Accepted
Very high notes on the treble clef
Depends. The longer your passage goes on in the highest register, the more sense it makes to switch octaves. But depending on the method of notation, adding this element to the score can be a lot more ...
- 7,425
7
votes
Different Piano Octaves
There's nothing after 15ma. You'll just have to bite the bullet and draw a ledger line or two. A note on the second ledger line, marked 15ma, is the top C on a grand piano so you shouldn't need to ...
- 5,515
7
votes
8va or clef change?
If it's piano music, you can use 8va for notes high above treble clef in the upper staff, and 8vb for notes far below bass clef in the lower staff.
But, use a clef change instead for notes in the ...
- 12.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Bass Clef Changed to Treble Clef in the Middle of the Music Sheet (Are The Clefs Notes in Same Octave?)
You are correctly understanding how to read the clefs. What you've missed is the "8-------" above the treble staff, which means to play those notes one octave higher than written.
Ordinarily,...
- 82.8k
6
votes
What is the meaning of an 8 followed by a dotted line?
It's an ottava-line. Or shorter: an 8va line. It means you should play those notes one octave higher than notated.
There's also an 8vb-line (ottava bassa) to play the notes an octave lower, which is ...
- 2,999
6
votes
Accepted
How does 8va work on a staff with multiple voices?
Gould's guide to music notation Behind bars says the following (p. 325):
An octave sign applies to all parts on a stave. A note written with an octave transposition should not share a stave with a ...
- 747
6
votes
Why don't all transposing instruments have transposing clefs?
Much of it is a historical accident. Different instruments were invented at different times in different places. Usually, a transposing instrument was tuned in a key that physically fit the instrument ...
- 25.1k
5
votes
When to use 8va in musical notation?
Pianists have to cope with octave marks a lot, thanks to their instrument having such a huge written range.
How many leger lines are OK without using an ottava bracket? For me, up to 4 is no problem. ...
- 5,204
5
votes
Accepted
Do accidentals carry through 8va?
I'm sure I have come across this before, but I have never really stopped to think about it. I think the answer is pretty clear for anyone with some experience, but I find the question itself quite ...
- 1,892
5
votes
Ledger Lines vs. 8va notation
When tempted to use an 8va line the answer is more often than not 'no'. Ok for piano sometimes. Occasionally for violin. Never for flute - they prefer the 'telegraph poles'. So do jazz and ...
- 90.6k
5
votes
Notation for 8va on the repeat
If your score strictly separates the hand's activities between the staves, as piano music tends to, then a simple 2da volta 8va above the top staff should suffice, to my mind.
2da being short for ...
- 418
4
votes
Different Piano Octaves
Nothing. Look at my piano (it's a slightly short one, the full 88 notes would reach C).
And look at the notation. Section A doesn't require an 8va line. B and C are 8va and 15ma. There is no ...
- 90.6k
4
votes
How do accidentals apply with octave signs?
EDIT:
I was wrong. The best published examples do not support my previous answer (see below).
In fact, it wouldn't even make sense if the rule were that an accidental applies to any note within the ...
4
votes
Accepted
How do accidentals apply with octave signs?
It's still a natural. True, the notes at that part of the bar are played an octave higher, but because it's written on that top space, and a previous E was naturalised (?) in the same place, it ...
- 190k
4
votes
Adding 8va line (both high or low) in Sibelius 7 doesn't play back
Sibelius doesn't play it back one octave higher when you click on the note.
You have to start the playback ("P") from the bar where the 8va sign begins.
If you start the playback in the middle of the ...
- 41
4
votes
Piano with two treble clefs and 8va on grand staff
As pointed out by @Tim H, the 8va sign means the two hands are not in the same octave so there is no 'collison.'
But, keep in mind some keyboard music for harpsichord or organ was written with the ...
- 55k
4
votes
Very high notes on the treble clef
First off, 16va is definitely incorrect as explained in the answer to this question and I'm surprised your software lets you write it. The correct ottava notation is 8va/8vb for one octave up/down and ...
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