Con ottava

As Printed on a Score

Printed as con 8va, coll’8va or coll’ottava over a passage written in single notes that is to be doubled at the octave — above, or below in a bass part; con 8va bassa specifies the lower octave. It lasts for the marked passage, sometimes shown with a dashed line.

Abbreviations: coll’8va, coll'8va, con 8va

Also spelled: coll’ottava, coll'ottava

How Composers Use It

A shorthand from the age of hand copying that saves writing octaves in piano bass lines and keyboard reductions. In modern scores, write the octaves out unless space is critical: performers read written octaves faster and there is no doubt which octave is meant. In a full score it can tell a copyist to double another part, but every instrumental part should have the notes written out.

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