Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
What is figured bass in music? It was a musical shorthand used by harpsichord and organ performers during the Baroque period. However, its influence is still felt today, because it’s at the heart of most college level classical music theory classes. Keep reading to learn what it is and how it works.
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What Is Figured Bass?
The New Harvard Dictionary of Music says this of the figure bass:
A bass part to which Arabic numbers (“figures”) have been added… The strict realization in four parts of figured bass is a regular feature of instruction in harmony… (305)
In other words, the figured bass was a notation system for keyboard players during the Baroque period (1600 to 1750 AD).
- It gets its name because the bassline (the lowest music part) had numbers, or figures, that told the harpsichordist what chords to play.
- It’s roughly equivalent in function to the chord symbols found in contemporary piano/guitar/vocal sheet music which allows chordal instruments (e.g., guitar, banjo, mandolin, and keyboard) to “comp” chords.
- The process of creating a harmonic accompaniment from the figures bass is called “realizing the harmony”.
How Does Figured Bass Work?
You’ll find the figures below the staff (usually the bass staff):
- If there is no figure, then the triad is in root position.
- If there is a figure 6 the triad is a first inversion chord. Having a figure 6 over a figure 4 is a second inversion triad.
- There are even more figures for seventh chords and various ornaments.
This example shows you what the figured bass looks like:
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, rotate your screen 90o to the right.
This is one possible realization:
Figured bass soundtrack:
In the realization I have the Roman numeral analysis below the staff and the modern chords symbols above the staff.
To learn more about figured bass for the keyboard:
Final Thoughts on “What Is Figured Bass in Music?”
Takeaway points:
- Figured bass was a notation system for keyboard players during the Baroque period.
- It gets its name because the bassline had figures that told the harpsichordist what chords to play.
- You’ll find the figures below the bass staff.
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