ottava

Ottava is the Italian word for octave. In music notation, it designates that a passage should be played or sung one octave higher or lower than written. The marking 8va (ottava alta) indicates an octave higher, while 8vb (ottava bassa) indicates an octave lower. A dashed or solid horizontal line usually extends from the marking to show how long the instruction applies; the effect is cancelled by a loco (return to written pitch) or by ending the line.

Usage and purpose: Ottava markings are common in piano and keyboard music, as well as in vocal and instrumental parts, to simplify notation and reduce the number of ledger lines. They help performers interpret passages that would otherwise require many ledger lines above or below the staff. In some scores, 8va or 8vb may be accompanied by brackets or alternate spellings and can occasionally appear as 15ma or 15vb to indicate two-octave shifts.

Variations: While 8va and 8vb are the standard forms, composers sometimes use 15ma and 15vb for two-octave transpositions. The exact placement of the marking (above the staff for higher octaves, below for lower) follows standard notation practices and is typically confined to a specified passage.

Etymology: The term ottava comes from Italian, meaning octave, itself from Latin octava, meaning the eighth. In practice, ottava markings facilitate practical reading and performance by adjusting the written pitch to a more comfortable or idiomatic range while preserving the musical content.