Figured bass

Figured bass is a system of numerical symbols written beneath a bass line to indicate intervals and guide the realization of harmony, especially in Baroque music.

Thoroughbass realization: The performance practice of turning a figured bass line into a complete harmonic accompaniment. It is the practical act that converts figures into sounding chords and counterpoint.
Musical interval: The distance in pitch between two notes, measured by number of letter names and quality. Each figure names an interval counted upward from the written bass note.
Baroque music: European art music composed roughly from 1600 to 1750, marked by evolving tonality and elaborate instrumental styles. Figured bass became a defining notation and accompaniment practice of this period.
Continuo group: The ensemble of bass and chordal instruments that performs a Baroque continuo part. Its players divide the bass and chordal realization indicated by the figures.
Lead sheet: A compact score that gives a melody and chord symbols for accompaniment. Unlike figured bass, it names chord qualities rather than intervals above a written bass.
Chord inversion: The arrangement of a chord with a note other than its root in the bass. Figures specify intervals above the bass, so inversions change the chord’s spacing without changing its identity.
Bass line: A sequence of low-pitched notes that supports a musical texture or harmonic progression. The bass note is the reference point from which every figure is read.
Emilio de' Cavalieri: An Italian composer and court musician associated with early opera and the development of monody. His 1600 publication used a bass with figures in the new accompanied style.
Harpsichord: A keyboard instrument that produces sound by plucking strings with quills or similar plectra. Harpsichordists commonly realized figured bass as the harmonic foundation of Baroque ensembles.
Roman numeral analysis: A system that labels chords by their scale-degree roots and functions within a key. It analyzes harmonic roots and functions, while figured bass encodes intervals from each bass note.

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