Klarinet Archive - Posting 000348.txt from 1995/01

From: "David A. GILMAN" <DAGILMAN@-----.EDU>
Subj: Octave Nomenclature
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 15:36:50 -0500

Just a word about specifying octaves in print:

Some of the books I've read show various ways to indicate the octave in which a
note occurs. Here are a couple of them.

TREBLE:

middle c through b above c' - b' OR C4 - B4 ("one-line octave")
3rd space c through b above c''- b'' OR C5 - B5 ("two-line octave")
2nd ledger line c through
b above c''' - b''' OR C6 - B6 ("three-line octave")
and so forth.

BASS:

2nd space c through b above c - b OR C3 - B3 ("small octave")
2nd ledger line c through
b above C - B OR C2 - B2 ("great octave")
the octave below this C' - B' OR C1 - B1 ("contra octave")
the octave below that C''- B'' OR C0 - B0 ("sub contra octave")

For example, "throat G" could be written as g' or G4. "Altissimo F#" could be
written as f'''# or F#6. [The numbers in the second system are usually written
as subscripts.]

I am writing this now to clear up any confusion about my use of the single
quotation mark with note letter names in my previous postings. I hope it does.

David Gilman