Figured Bass Music Theory Cheat Sheet printable pdf download

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

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

so this...

6 #

Figure 1.

e Basso Continuo

# #

could be played as this!

œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ #

œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ

œ # œ œ

œ œ

œ #

the numbers and symbols

printed below the basso

continuo part are called

œ œ # œ œ œ

œ œ

œ #

# #

œ œ

the figured bass. So how

œ # 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

w w

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

? # #

w w

second, the numbers

represent intervals

above the bass, even

(5)

though some numbers

(3)

are usually left out.

a six by itself

a six and a four

if there are

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

creates a first

giving you a second

bass... you get a

root position triad!

inversion triad!

the notes from the

key signature!

w w

lastly, accidentals are

? # #

applied to the interval

they appear with. if you

have an accidental by

itself, it applies to the

6 n

third above the bass.

don’t overthink these:

here, the sharp

here, there is no

note that there is

if the composer wants

number next to the

a natural, not a flat,

applies to the

a note raised by a half-

sixth above the

sharp, so we apply

next to the six...

step and it’s flatted in

it to the third above

bass, so we add a

if it were a flat, we

the key signature, the

sharp to the g.

would write a c flat.

the bass note.

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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Figured Bass Music Theory Cheat Sheet

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