Figured Bass

Figured bass is a system, developed during the baroque period, for indicating what chords should be played with a melody. It is similar to jazz chord symbols or guitar tablature in our time. Since I'm a pianist, when I think of figured bass, I think of the harpsichordist playing the bass notes with the left hand while interpreting the figures (numbers written below the bass notes) to create chords played with the right hand. However, the organ and the lute are also famous for playing figured bass.

If a harpsichord plays figured bass, a bass instrument can play just the bass line along with it. That bass instrument might be a viola da gamba or a bassoon. The single or pair of instruments playing the figured bass is called the basso continuo. You can think of the continuo as the "rhythm section."

In other words, the figured bass player was required to improvise a chordal accompaniment for the piece. For some modern editions, someone has written a version of the continuo part. The original figures below the bass notes may or may not be included in the edition. On the other hand, some modern editions do not include a continuo realization, so the continuo player has the honor of creating one.

The realization of a specific figured bass depends on the ability of the player and the style of the music. The player, after interpreting the figures, might choose to play chords or arpeggios, or thirds, a combination of these, or even something else. Each time the piece is played, the realization would be slightly different, since it probably would not be written down.

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