Octaves and range
The same note, higher or lower.
Lesson 6 of 7
This grid has two octaves. The second bar plays the first bar’s notes one octave higher.
Low, then high
Move the second bar’s notes to the lower octave and compare.
| 1C6 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7B5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6A5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5G5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4F5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3E5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2D5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1C5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 7B4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6A4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5G4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4F4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3E4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2D4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1C4 |
An octave up is the same note name with twice the frequency, so it sounds like the same note, only brighter. That is why the numbers start again at 1 every octave.
Every instrument and voice has a range, the notes it can play comfortably. In a song, the bass usually lives low, chords in the middle and the melody above them, so the parts do not get in each other’s way.