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parallel octaves

Two voices an octave apart moving together, collapsing two lines into one.

Two voices an octave apart moving together, so the upper simply doubles the lower. The two lines fuse into one thicker line, losing the independence counterpoint is built on. Useful as deliberate reinforcement, fatal when you meant to have two separate voices.

Learn it: Counterpoint · Pitch and the octave

The one-sentence definition at the top is the same one the Theory Aide extension shows as a tooltip inside Ableton Live. Hover any dotted term for its own.