music theory for musicians and normal people by toby w.

rush

Figured Bass
musical works written in the baroque era would often
include a part called the basso continuo which would
consist of a single bass clef melodic line with various
numbers and accidentals printed beneath the notes.
no, no, no... there wasn’t an actual instrument called
a basso continuo! the part was played by two
instruments: a bass clef instrument like cello or
bassoon, and a keyboard instrument like a harpsichord.

in performances, the bass clef instrument would simply play

the given notes, but the keyboard player would improvise a
part based on the notes and the symbols below the part!

? ## œ # œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j.S. Bach: brandenberg concerto no. 5, bwv 1050

so this...
6 6 #6 6 #6 6 6 #6 6 9 5 6 #
# 5 5 5
Figure 1. The Basso Continuo

# j
could be played as this!

& # œœœ œ œ œ œ œ # œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ # œœ œœ œœ
œœ œ œ # œ
œ œ #œ œ
the numbers and symbols

J J
printed below the basso
continuo part are called

? ## œ # œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
the figured bass. So how

œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
do you turn figured bass
into chords?

first of all, it’s important to know that the note given on the bass clef part is always

? # # www ? # # www
the bass note of the chord. and remember: the bass is not necessarily the root!

? # # ww
w
second, the numbers
represent intervals
above the bass, even
though some numbers (5) 6 6
are usually left out. (3) (3) 4
if there are a six by itself a six and a four
note that the intervals no numbers, indicates a sixth indicate a sixth
are always diatonic. add a third and and a third above and a fourth
don’t worry about a fifth above the the bass, which above the bass,
inflection... just use bass... you get a creates a first giving you a second
the notes from the root position triad! inversion triad! inversion triad!
key signature!

? # # # www ? # # # www ? # # n www

lastly, accidentals are
applied to the interval
they appear with. if you
have an accidental by
itself, it applies to the
#6 # n6 third above the bass.

don’t overthink these:

here, the sharp here, there is no note that there is if the composer wants
applies to the number next to the a natural, not a flat,
a note raised by a half-
sixth above the sharp, so we apply next to the six...
bass, so we add a it to the third above if it were a flat, we step and it’s flatted in
sharp to the g. the bass note. would write a c flat. the key signature, the
figured bass will have
a natural, not a sharp.

by the time the classical period got realizing figured bass (writing chords
going, composers stopped including a given a figured bass line) makes for an
basso continuo part, and so figured excellent exercise for students to learn
bass fell out of use... with only one how to write in the common practice
exception: music theory classes! period style!
wooo!
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