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Music vocabulary · Music Theory and Harmony

Octave

Meaning in music, with examples

/ˈɑːktɪv/nounCore term

In music, octave means: The interval between one note and the next note with the same name, higher or lower. The higher note vibrates exactly twice as fast as the lower one.

In Turkish: oktav

How it is used

Used for range and for playing instructions. Singers talk about how many octaves they can sing; teachers say 'play it an octave higher' or 'up an octave'. Pianists practise octaves with both hands.

Example sentences

  1. The bass doubles the melody an octave lower in the last chorus.

  2. Her range is about two and a half octaves.

Common collocations

  • an octave higher
  • an octave lower
  • up an octave
  • play in octaves
  • two-octave range
  • intervalThe distance in pitch between two notes, named by counting letter names and checking the number of semitones, such as a major third or a perfect fifth.
  • pitchHow high or low a sound is. Pitch depends on the frequency of the sound wave: the faster the vibration, the higher the pitch.
  • vocal rangeThe span of notes from the lowest to the highest that a singer can sing well. Voices are grouped by range, from bass and baritone to tenor, alto and soprano.
  • scaleA set of notes played in order of pitch, going up or down, that follows a fixed pattern of steps. Scales are the building blocks of melodies and chords.
  • noteA single musical sound with a particular pitch and length, or the written symbol that shows it. In English, notes are named with the letters A to G.

More terms: Music Theory and Harmony

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