>>>>> "James" == James Allwright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
James> Can you explain what figured bass is ? This isn't a term that I
James> recognize.
When Baroque composers were writing for a bass instrument that could
play chords, they wrote the bass line, and sometimes indicated what
chord should be filled in by writing numbers (figures) above (or
below) the bass note. So a G with a 4 and 6 under it would be in
modern notation a C chord with G in the root. If there isn't a
number, it's assumed that the bass note is the root of the chord, but
if the third isn't in the scale, you indicate it with an accidental.
So a C with a flat above it means to play a chord with an Eb in it.
If there is already an Eb in the key signature, they might write a
natural sign above the C to indicate that the harmony should include an
E natural.
There are large books written about how to actually play from this
notation, and there's some suspicion that a lot of the surviving parts
that were heavily figured were teaching exercises, since a
professional keyboard or lute player would really be able to figure
out all but the most surprising figures without them being indicated.
But if you transcribe baroque music at all, you are going to want to
be able to transcribe the figures. Most keyboard parts to baroque
ensemble pieces that you've ever seen were what's called "realizations
of the figured bass", where the editor filled in what a keyboard
player might have actually played from the bass line notes and the
figures.
One of the aspects that involves kludging is that if the harmony changes
on the same bass note, they write the figures between the note and the
next note.
--
Laura (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] , http://www.laymusic.org/ )
(617) 661-8097 fax: (801) 365-6574
233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
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