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Basic

Staff

Elements

8va and 8vb

8va

8va is a score marking indicating that the part is to be played an octave above the written notes.

In the following example, the violins would actually start playing the passage on the C found three octaves above middle C:

Violinists would find the above notation easier to read than the same passage written in the actual octave without the 8va indication:

8vb

8vb is a score marking indicating that the part is to be played an octave below the written notes. In the following example, the pianist would actually start playing the passage on the C found three octaves below middle C:

Pianists would find the above notation easier to read than the same passage written in the actual octave without the 8vb indication:

(Note: Composers will some times insert the word loco immediately after the end of the 8va or 8vb dashed line to remind the performer that the 8va or 8vb passage has ended.)