Ottava
Ottava (Italian “octave”, sign 8va) asks you to play a passage an octave higher or lower than it is written. A dashed line or bracket shows how far the instruction holds. In this way many ledger lines are saved.
- 8va
- above the notes: an octave higher than written
- 8vb
- below the notes: an octave lower than written
- 15ma
- two octaves higher than written
- Cancelled by
- loco
Saving ledger lines
Very high or very low notes need many ledger lines. That is hard to read. The ottava helps: you write the passage an octave lower (or higher) than it sounds and put “8va” above (or below) it with a dashed line or bracket. The line shows which notes are affected. Where it ends, the normal register holds again. Sometimes the word “loco” also appears there, which expressly cancels the octave shift.
8va: high notes written an octave lower (treble clef)
The bracket with 8va holds from the second to the seventh note. They sound an octave higher than they sit in the staff. The last note is in its normal place again, without a bracket.
8vb: low notes written an octave higher (bass clef)
Below the notes is the bracket with 8vb. They sound an octave lower than they sit in the staff. Without the bracket they would have to be notated with ledger lines below the staff.
The signs
8va (ottava alta) is written above the notes and means: play an octave higher than written. 8vb (ottava bassa) is written below the notes and asks for an octave lower. The abbreviation “8vb” is regarded by some as not quite correct linguistically, but is widespread today; formerly “8va bassa” was written. Some editions also put “8va” under the notes and mean lower by it. 15ma (quindicesima) shifts by two octaves. The table summarises the signs.
| Sign | Effect | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 8va above the notes | an octave higher | ottava alta, all’ottava |
| 8vb below the notes | an octave lower | ottava bassa |
| 15ma | two octaves higher | quindicesima |
| loco | as written again, cancels the octave shift | – |
Ottava in the score and in the sound
The ottava changes nothing about where the note sits in the staff, but it changes the sound. A note that is written as C5 in the staff under an 8va bracket sounds as C6. When reading this means: first determine the name in the staff, then shift the octave. The audio examples above play the sounding note.
Common mistakes
- Overlooking the bracket: Then you play a passage in the wrong octave.
- Changing back too early or too late: The line shows exactly how far the octave shift holds.
- Reading 8va under the notes as “higher”: There in some editions it means “lower”; the context shows it.
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Related terms
OctaveOctave clefOne-line octaveClefTreble clefBass clefPiano
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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