Klarinet Archive - Posting 000721.txt from 1998/11

From: Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.Net>
Subj: Re: [kl] 8va vs. 8basso (was: question on
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 09:17:48 -0500

Scott wrote:
>I've, also, always thought that 8va meant play an octave higher and 8va
>basso meant play an octave lower. To me, it seems absurd to have 8va
>mean either!
and Aimee said
>> I was taught that 8va meant up (usually
>>written above) and 8basso meant down (usually written under). BUT, the
>>books I teach piano out of teach that 8va means up or down, depending
>if it is written above or below the notes in question!

I agree with Aimee that in piano scores which way you go can depend on
whether the dashed line is above or below the 8va. You do see 8va basso
too, and occasionally you find 16va.

But in scores for solo instruments, and for bands and orchestra parts, what
I've seen in too many decades of performing agrees with Scott.

The trouble is that there is no universally agreed-upon style for some of
these smaller points in musical notation, as far as I know. If one is
writing a book, Chicago book style is the standard, but is there any such
thing for music?

Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.net>

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