Figured bass

Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and nonchord tones, in relation to a bass note. Figured bass is closely associated with basso continuo, an accompaniment used in almost all genres of music in the Baroque period.

Contemporary uses

It is also sometimes used by classical musicians as a shorthand way of indicating chords (though it is not generally used in modern musical compositions). A form of figured bass is used in notation of accordion music. Today the most common use of figured bass notation is to indicate the inversion, however, often without the staff notation, using letter note names followed with the figure, for instance the bass note C in 64 figured bass would be written C_4^6. The symbols can also be used with Roman numerals in analyzing functional harmony, a usage called figured Roman; see chord symbol.

Related Topics:
Accordion - Inversion - Functional harmony - Chord symbol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~