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I have only been studying music for a couple of days now, and I was advised to look through music I like, so I can further my understanding.

Whilst doing so, I have come across some markings that I am not familiar with at all, nor have I come across them in the study guides I currently have.

What does this "+8vb" marking mean?

score with "+8vb" marking

Elements in Space
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cmp
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1 Answers1

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+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 to play an octave higher, usually found in the treble clef. Dashed lines take us to the end of the affected part.

EDIT: since the previous notes are octaves, it makes good sense, as Killian Foth says, that + 8vb means play the shown notes and those an octave lower, difficult to write due to too many leger lines.

Tim
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  • Thanks @Tim! But…. doesn’t an 8, above or below the treble clef also mean the same thing? – cmp Jan 08 '17 at 17:56
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    This score clearly shows "*+* 8va", which means to play the lower octave *in addition* to the notated pitch. You're describing the normal "8va_____", which tells you to play the lower octave *instead of* the notated pitch. – Kilian Foth Jan 08 '17 at 18:58
  • @KilianFoth - thiws score clearly shows '+8vb'. 8va means play an octave higher. However, with the '+' bit (which was not asked about !) you may be onto something. However, again, I think if anything, it will mean play the original notes plus their lower octaves, as you suggest. – Tim Jan 08 '17 at 19:44
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    Why wouldn't 2 octaves lower be 16vb instead of 15? – Rockin Cowboy Jan 08 '17 at 20:26
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    @RockinCowboy - in a word 'no'!! Don't count the actual octave note twice! – Tim Jan 08 '17 at 21:07
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    @RockinCowboy Because C to E is a third, E to G is a third, but C to G is not a 6th. –  Jan 08 '17 at 22:29
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    @cmp - the little 8 under the treble clef sign means everything written will sound one octave lower. That's the norm for guitar music, because guitars play an octave lower than the written notes. – Tim Jan 09 '17 at 15:27
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    The sign means literally "Plus ottava bassa", or "Add the lower octave." – musarithmia Jan 09 '17 at 19:29
  • I was not suggesting that it would be 16 - I only asked why it is not. Never intended to question the accuracy of your statement - only to learn. The explanation makes sense. Thanks. – Rockin Cowboy Jan 10 '17 at 16:16
  • @RockinCowboy - I thought that it should be 16 before, no trouble! – Tim Jan 10 '17 at 16:29
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    The notation for "with the octave" is usually written as "*col 8va*" (*coll'ottava*). – Elements in Space Sep 27 '22 at 19:22
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    @Tim "8va means play an octave higher": _8va_ is an abbreviation for the Italian word _ottava,_ meaning "octave," or, indeed, "eighth." The direction is indicated by the position of the notation: above for an octave higher, below for an octave lower. In recent years, people who know little about the Italian language, laboring under the misconception that the "a" in "8va" is related to "alta," meaning :"higher," started writing"8vb" for no good reason. It's like saying that the interval from G to the C below is a 5tl instead of a 5th. – phoog Sep 27 '22 at 22:33
  • I've seen "con 8" before in sheet music (specifically, the urtext of Liszt's Csardas Macabre). I'd believe the "+ 8vb" in this question means the same thing - add the notes an octave below, not substitute them. – Dekkadeci Sep 28 '22 at 06:04