  
5
Ledger
lines and 8va
Even the use of different clefs is inadequate to indicate all the
possible pitches a composer may want to use. Short lines are added
above and below a staff to extend its range. These short lines are
called ledger lines. Earlier
we discussed middle C, which is one ledger line below the treble
staff and one ledger line above the bass staff.
ledger
lines
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Notice the incorrect notation of ledger lines in the
following examples. There is an unnecessary line added for each
of these notes.
incorrect
notation of ledger lines
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The range of the staff can be further extended with
the octave sign 8va, indicating
that the notes in the bracket are to be played an octave higher
or lower. If the octave sign occurs above the treble clef, the notes
sound one octave higher than written. If the octave sign is located
below the bass clef, the notes are sounded one octave lower than
written.
8va
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