What does octave mean in music?

What does octave mean in music?

Octave, in music, an interval whose higher note has a sound-wave frequency of vibration twice that of its lower note. Thus the international standard pitch A above middle C vibrates at 440 hertz (cycles per second); the octave above this A vibrates at 880 hertz, while the octave below it vibrates at 220 hertz.

Why is it called octave?

The word “octave” comes from a Latin root meaning “eight”. It seems an odd name for a frequency that is two times, not eight times, higher. The octave was named by musicians who were more interested in how octaves are divided into scales, than in how their frequencies are related.

What is a Catholic octave?

“Octave” has two senses in Christian liturgical usage. In the first sense, it is the eighth day after a feast, reckoning inclusively, and so always falls on the same day of the week as the feast itself. The word is derived from Latin octava (eighth), with dies (day) understood.

How is an octave defined in terms of music?

An octave is defined both in terms of music and in terms of physics: In terms of music, an octave is the distance between one note (like C#) and the next note bearing its same name (the next C# that’s either higher or lower). In terms of physics, an octave is the distance between one note and another note that’s double its frequency.

Where does the word octave come from in liturgy?

Octave (liturgy) The word is derived from Latin octava (eighth), with dies (day) understood. In the second sense, the term is applied to the whole period of these eight days, during which certain major feasts came to be observed.

What does it mean to go up or down an octave?

Here’s how the notes allow us to go stepwise, up or down an octave. If we go up/down by one interval at a time, such as from the note G to the note Ab, it is said we are advancing in half steps (also called semitones)

What is the distance between two notes in an octave?

In terms of music, an octave is the distance between one note (like C#) and the next note bearing its same name (the next C# that’s either higher or lower). In terms of physics, an octave is the distance between one note and another note that’s double its frequency.