8va question

[Obid]

I am confused about the usage of 8va. Please someone help me out  I have some books I'm learning from but they don't go into exact specifics on 8va.

Question 1: If 8va is placed above the treble staff, does that mean to raise both hands one octave higher for both the treble and bass staff or raise just the treble staff?

Question 2: If the music says "2nd time 8va segue" does that mean to play both hands (treble and bass) one octave higher or raise just the treble staff?

Question 3: If 8va above the treble staff means only to play the treble staff and you are using the left and right hands in the treble staff do I raise both hands an octave or just the note steps that point upward?

I tried to search this forum for 8va but for some reason it wouldnt' find anything. I been searching the net for an answer to this but the answers I found are very general.  

Thanks for your help!

[bernhard]

Question 1: If 8va is placed above the treble staff, does that mean to raise both hands one octave higher for both the treble and bass staff or raise just the treble staff?

Just the treble staff.  The 8va sign is specific to each staff. If it is placed above (usually the treble staff) it means one octave higher, if it is placed below it means one octave lower (usually the bass staff)

Question 2: If the music says "2nd time 8va segue" does that mean to play both hands (treble and bass) one octave higher or raise just the treble staff?

.

It depends. Where was the sign placed? In between staves then both hands go one octave higher. If above the treble staff, then it refers only to the treble staff. If below the bass staff, then it refers only to the bass staff. Which piece is it?

Question 3: If 8va above the treble staff means only to play the treble staff and you are using the left and right hands in the treble staff do I raise both hands an octave or just the note steps that point upward?

I am not sure I understand your question. But the 8va sign refers to the notes on the score, irrespective of the hand you are using to play them. If you are using the left hand to play a note in the treble staff that has a 8va sign on top, then your left hand will have to move one octave up to play the note one octave up (does that make sense?).

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Obid]

Thanks very much for your help Bernhard   You rock!

So if 8va is above the treble staff then all notes on the treble staff go up one octave even if both hands are used for the treble staff and even if the left hand note's stems are pointing downwards? And if notes on the treble staff go below middle c by using ledger lines for those notes then those notes go up one octave also?

So the only way the bass staff can go up an octave is by putting the 8va inbetween the treble and bass staff which would mean both staffs to be raised one octave?

Thanks again

[bernhard]

Er… forget what I said about an 8va sign in between staffs. I don’t think this exists (I was thinking of something else).

Recapitulating.

1.      An 8va sign on top of the treble staff means that all the notes under the 8va sign should be played one octave higher than written. This is done to avoid ledger lines. It refers to the notes, not to the hand. Play the notes with whichever hand you want, as long as the notes are one octave higher. Even if the notes in the treble staff are below middle C they still should be played one octave higher.

2.      The same applies for an 8va sign below the bass staff: all the notes under the 8va sign should be palyed one octave lower. Again this is done ot avoid th use of ledger lines.


3.      If you want to play the bass staff one octave higher, or the treble staff one octave lower, you could theoretically use an 8va sign above the bass staff, or an 8va sign below the treble staff, but no one does that because there is an easier way: just change the clef. So if you want to play the Bass staff one octave higher, use a G clef on the bass staff. Likewise, if you want to play the notes on the treble staff one octave lower, simply change the clef to an F-clef.

Sorry about the mixup.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Obid]

Cool that helps me out a lot. Thanks Bernhard.  
You have been very helpful.  

Thanks,
Obid

[faulty_damper]

Some forms of the "8va" are 8va and 8vb.  8vb means to play it an octave lower.  This is perhaps a more modern innovation, though.  Usually, the 8vb is applied to the bass staff.

[aileigc]

I am confused about the usage of 8va. Please someone help me out  I have some books I'm learning from but they don't go into exact specifics on 8va.

Question 2: If the music says "2nd time 8va segue" does that mean to play both hands (treble and bass) one octave higher or raise just the treble staff?

"Segue" is a Portuguese form of the verb "seguir" = "to follow". I do think it must corresponds to Italian "seguire". So, do you think in the context of the music it would make sense? Like, this note and all the others that follow?
It should not have anything to do with which notes are affected vertically, but how many of them (horizontally).

Hope I made sense.

Alex