Treble clef with 8 above (octave up)
A treble clef with 8 above means that the music sounds one octave higher than written. It changes the clef's octave register, not the letter names assigned to its lines and spaces.
- Clefs
- At the start of the staff
- A curve or arc, Numbers
Do not confuse it with
A passage-length 8va line has a horizontal span; this small 8 belongs to the clef and normally governs the staff until a clef change.
What the sources say
- Reading Clefs
octave treble clef with an ‘8’ at the top of the clef indicates that notes should be played an octave higher than written.
- Music Glossary — G clef
A digit 8 above the clef symbol indicates that the notes must be played an octave higher
- SMuFL — Clefs
gClef8va — G clef ottava alta