piano - What is an octave? - Music: Practice Theory Stack Exchange The actual values that delimit a musical octave are determined by the tuning convention being used: An octave is usually not exactly tonic frequency x 2 but hovers around that value - a close enough approximation so that most ears discern octave equivalence [further explained later on] within that range
Why are there twelve notes in an octave? - theory Well the octave represents a doubling halving of hertz (cycles per second) So, midi middle C is 256 hz, and if you know your computer numbers, you'll realise that the next octave C's are at 512, 1024, 2048, etc and the lower octaves are at 128, 64, and (pimp your ride) 32 Earthquakes, by the way, show up at around 11 hertz
tuning - Was the term octave coined after the development of early . . . To clarify: I am not asking why an octave is called an octave (meaning eight) if we have 7 notes This is clear My question is about the chronology of a 12 semi-tone tuning system, the use of an 8-note scale (major scale), and the introduction of the word 'octave' to refer to those 8 notes (7 notes + root)
practice - Fingering for octaves on the piano - Music: Practice . . . Another good trick is to jump up with the left hand and play the first octave of every triplet as only the bottom note of that octave Using the left hand of course This actually produces a wonderful musical effect that even more closely resembles a galloping horse than the original octave figuration Octaves are hard! Good luck!
Ottava markings - Should this 8va be 8vb? 8va is an abbreviation for "ottava" ("octave" in Italian) and is commonly used both for higher and lower octave shifts The key difference is the placement of the dashed line: aligned to the top for "octave higher" and aligned to the bottom for "octave lower" 8vb is also sometimes used to indicate an octave lower
sheet music - Is 16va proper notation? - Music: Practice Theory . . . Because pitch measurement systems (linear and logarithmic) are derived from the octave as 2:1, a double octave represented as 16va (16:8 = 2:1) is a notation evolution surpassing music theory symbols based on an outdated, extended modal scale series, like 15ma
When was the word octave first used? - theory The first known usage of "octave" in English, according to the Oxford English Dictionary: The earliest known use of the word octave is in the late 1500s OED's earliest evidence for octave is from around 1570, in Art of Music [author not given] Regarding etymology: octave is a borrowing from Latin Etymons: Latin octava, octāva, octāvus
Does an accidental apply to all octaves? - Music: Practice Theory . . . In Bar 21 of Chopin's waltz in A minor the 8th note in the right hand is an interesting case in that it is a G at the start of an octave higher section which is clearly intended to be a G♯, as the previous occurrence of the note at that position in the stave but not an octave higher - and all the other Gs in the bar - are sharp, but arguably