Bass clef with 8 below
A bass clef with 8 below directs pitches to sound one octave lower than written. The F line remains the fourth line; only the sounding register changes.
- Clefs
- At the start of the staff
- A curve or arc, Numbers
Do not confuse it with
A plain bass clef sounds at the written octave unless the instrument itself is conventionally octave-transposing.
What the sources say
- Cubase Pro Score — Clefs
Bass 8vb Inserts a bass clef that sounds an octave lower.
- SMuFL — Clefs
fClef8vb — F clef ottava bassa
- The clef-octave-change element
The clef-octave-change element is used for transposing clefs.
- Music Glossary — Octave mark
8vb: play one octave lower ... putting a small 8 or 15 above or below the clef at the beginning.