Octave Signs
| Ottava The 8va sign is placed above the staff (as shown) to indicate the passage is to be played one octave higher. (An 8vb sign is placed below the staff to indicate the passage is to be played one octave lower. |
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| Quindicesima The 15ma sign is placed above the staff (as shown) to indicate the passage is to be played two octaves higher. (A 15mb sign is placed below the staff to indicate the passage is to be played two octaves lower.) |
8va and 15ma are sometimes abbreviated further to 8 and 15. When they appear below the staff, the word bassa is sometimes added.
Read more about this topic: List Of Musical Symbols
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“[Christianity] endeavors equally to establish these two things: that God has set up in the Church visible signs to make himself known to those who should seek him sincerely, and that he has nevertheless so disguised them that he will only be perceived by those who seek him with all their heart.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)