Play the notes an octave higher or lower than where they are written.

Play the notes an octave higher or lower than where they are written.

• A. Octave sign
• B. Mordent
• C. Marcato
• D. Opus

Answer: (A)

An octave sign tells you to shift the written pitches by an octave. It’s shown as 8va (ottava alta) for playing higher, or 8vb (ottava bassa) for playing lower, often with a line indicating how long the shift lasts and ending where loco cancels or at the end of the line. This marking lets you change the pitch range without rewriting the notes. The other terms refer to different ideas: mordent is a quick ornamental turn, marcato is a strong, accented articulation, and opus is a cataloging term for a work. So the instruction to play an octave higher or lower exactly describes the octave sign.

An octave sign tells you to shift the written pitches by an octave. It’s shown as 8va (ottava alta) for playing higher, or 8vb (ottava bassa) for playing lower, often with a line indicating how long the shift lasts and ending where loco cancels or at the end of the line. This marking lets you change the pitch range without rewriting the notes. The other terms refer to different ideas: mordent is a quick ornamental turn, marcato is a strong, accented articulation, and opus is a cataloging term for a work. So the instruction to play an octave higher or lower exactly describes the octave sign.