What is an octave in singing?

If you are new to singing, the word “octave” can sound more technical than it really is. You may hear a teacher say that two notes are an octave apart, that a singer has a range of two or three octaves, or that a melody jumps up an octave. At first, this can feel confusing, especially if you are still learning how pitch works. So, what is an octave in singing? In reality, an octave is one of the most important and useful ideas in music. Once you understand it, you begin to hear melodies more clearly, understand your vocal range [...]