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I'm working on the piano solo version of Rhapsody in Blue, and I'm unsure - when there is an 8 underneath this E, is it meant to be played as just the lower E, or as a full octave (as in the measure before)?

excerpt of score with "8" below note

Elements in Space
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Theo
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2 Answers2

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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 octaves exactly like the bar before. In the piano part for the piano and orchestra version the octaves are written out.

enter image description here

PiedPiper
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  • Explanation: if written as in the bar before, the low note would overlap the next system, therefore this space-saving notation is used. – guidot May 25 '21 at 19:19
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    It should be _col 8_ or _col 8va._ The letter _a_ here does not stand for _alta._ – phoog May 26 '21 at 03:37
  • @phoog We've had this discussion before. It may not be correct but '8vb' (short for '8va bassa') is very common. – PiedPiper May 26 '21 at 08:36
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    Well, the important thing is to include the term "col" if you want to add a note an octave lower. Whether you write "col 8" or "col 8va" or "col 8vb" does not disturb what you mean. – Lars Peter Schultz May 26 '21 at 10:12
  • Lars Peter Schultz's comment is critical: *without the "col" or "con", no note is added an octave lower*. I've made an answer detailing this. – Dekkadeci May 26 '21 at 12:35
  • Sorry, I say this so frequently that I can't remember who I've already said it to and who I haven't, but in any event this comment and others like it are mainly for the benefit of the casual passer by. I realize that 8vb is common, but that doesn't make it correct. _8vb_ makes even less sense than _1960ies_ instead of _1960's_ or _1960s,_ which is also common but wrong. Something like _8. b._ would be far preferable, but in any event mentioning the direction is redundant. – phoog May 26 '21 at 13:56
  • You've mentioned "col 8vb" twice in the first sentence, is the first meant to be "col 8va"? – Elements in Space Oct 05 '22 at 00:18
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Purely as written, with no "con 8" or "col 8", the sheet music's 8 in the question indicates that the E should be played an octave below how it is written, and no E should be added below.

This reflects how Musescore (and likely Finale/Sibelius) would interpret that 8 "line" marking.

If the editor meant that to save space, and the piano solo version really does match the orchestral piano part version, then the editor mucked up and didn't notate the music correctly: it's that simple.

Dekkadeci
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  • The editor **did** muck up, and the notation is incorrect. That whole section is a solo cadenza in the original: the solo piano version is identical there. I'll edit my answer to make that clear. – PiedPiper May 26 '21 at 14:36