Dear Ariel, I think that you starting up from a wrong concept. Playing continuo is not about learning positions for chords but reading a bass and adding the right harmonies to it as a result of counterpoint and correct voice leading. If you think in "chords positions" like jazz players do, you are going to create poor voice-leading and many parallel harmonies. You will have to be able to develop a very good sense of harmony for each time and style. Learn early Baroque harmony and counterpoint to start with (very much different than the "standard" xviii century harmony we learn in the conservatory) and then apply this knowledge to find the right connexions of chords indicated by the bass (and cyphers when present). That is the way to go. With time it will come automatically. Playing continuo on the lute, archlute or theorbo is a very different matter as playing chords in baroque guitar style. I wish you lots of success in your new endeavor, Many greetings,
Alfonso To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
