Figured Bass
A music notation system commonly used during the Baroque period
Figured bass, also known as basso continuo, is a music notation system commonly used during the Baroque period. It employs a series of numbers and symbols to indicate the intervals between the harmonies in a musical piece. Typically consisting of a bassline and a set of figures, it directs performers to play the chords and harmonies above the bassline according to the given numbers. Performers must use these figures to supplement the harmonies and create a complete musical sound. Figured bass was popular during the Baroque era because it allowed performers to play chords in their own way, without being constrained by established harmonies.
The numbers and symbols in figured bass represent the pitch and interval that should be played in the harmony. For example, the number "6" indicates that the performer should play a note six degrees above the bassline note. Similarly, the figures "4 3" indicate that the performer should first play a note four degrees above the bassline note, followed by a note three degrees above it. These figures and symbols can be combined with musical notation on the score to help performers quickly supplement the chords.
Although figured bass was widely used during the Baroque era, it was gradually replaced by chord symbols in later periods, as they were simpler and more precise. However, figured bass is still widely used in modern music theory education as it helps students learn the fundamentals of harmony.
Example of Figured Bass
Writer: Frankie Chan
Term Information
Type of Musical Term
Related Musical Terms
Dictionary
Other Musical Terms
Tutor's Video (Miss So)
Articles
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.
The Greatest Violinist: Jascha Heifetz
