How to Play Basso Continuo: 8 Tips for Playing Unfigured Bass Lines

[@harpsichord]

Did you know about these basic rules for unfigured basses? What other questions do you have about figuring unfigured bass lines? Let me know with a comment below!

[@tavinmj]

I just tried the last diminished chord and it worked charms! Great tip!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I'm too much of a Nooby to profit from your advice on this video, but I'm practicing my cadences and sequences. I just had a piaon lesson yesterday, and we worked on figured bass, even though he doesn't use them. But he's happy to follow me, and I think I've found my Maestra. You bet I've subbed, and I'll go back to see your basic teaching videos. BTW I love the piano, even though I have Aural Aphantasia. I'm trying to use the movements with ROTO and sing to the changes on the tonic, third and fifth. I hear what it sounds like, but I can't sing a scale! And another BTW, I hope you are playing pain-free, and that your pupils are pain free. I've got strong fingers despite a major shoulder injury. I live with a FURS syndrome. This caused me to completely modify my Chiropractic practice, but it also gave me keen insigth on treatning the shoulder, as well as the arm and hands. I have a video on You Tube under "Oh My Aching Bach". I can send you my exercise brochure if you'd like. I'll contact you on your website. Merci beaucoup.

[@gabriel_kyne]

R.O. Morris lied to me! He made me think I’d see figures when playing figured bass! 😂 you sound great by the way!

[@00chiuppi]

Ahhhhhh!!!! Thank you for all your videos and doing the great work you are doing. I've never really learned basso continuo out side of figured bass notation and analysis for harmonic progressions. I've started arranging a piece that has a melody and a basso continuo. It is rather basic but thought I was not aware and knowledgable about bass continuo and it's stylistic approach. Your videos, I feel, have given me a good start at how to approach the melody in terms of arrangement and voicing. Especially this video! Thank you!

[@harpsichord]

I’m so glad to hear this and so happy that my video was helpful to you!

[@austin7]

Always look forward to your awesome videos every week, thank you!!

[@harpsichord]

Thank you so much, as always! :D

[@bac748]

Hello Alice, do you offer any Zoom lessons on basso continuo playing?

[@austin7]

I had a question that I’m not sure if you covered or not already. Do you know why a flat is omitted from the key signature in original editions/facsimiles? I heard something about it being more prevalent in Italian music, not sure though.

[@harpsichord]

I can't remember the exact reason this was a thing, but it has to do with coming out of the modal system into tonal music. Early (even through the late Baroque) key signatures for minor keys tended to have one flat fewer than what was in the key, which we now call a Dorian key signature. As far as I know the practice was prevalent throughout Europe, and I don't know if it was any more prevalent in Italy than elsewhere. I tried looking up "Dorian key signature" on Google, but didn't come up with any great definition. But I did find this page, which might be slightly helpful and show/explain a bit more than what I said above: bwv622.blogspot.com/2008/03/score-reading-bach-autograph.html Hope that helps!

[@gabriel_kyne]

Do you find your continuo playing style changes depending on if you’re playing harpsichord or organ?

[@CANALMUSICANDO]

What tuning is on?

[@harpsichord]

It’s a modified 1/4-comma meantone-in this case, normal 1/4-comma meantime based around A, but with D#’s instead of Eb’s because I need them for a piece I’m working on.

[@CANALMUSICANDO]

@@harpsichord Ok! Great!!! Thanks ;)

[@dougie6897]

4 min 22 ? What’s the word lepet……? 6th Could you spell it please many thanks

[@harpsichord]

Hi! I'm saying "le petite sixte," which just means "the little sixth" or "the petite sixth" and refers to this 6/4/3 chord that was a particular favorite of the French Baroque composers and players.

[@dougie6897]

@@harpsichord many thanks Alice. I’ve managed to locate it , I think you’ll find it’s la and not le , petite being the feminine not the masculine . Happy new year to you and keep up your splendid educational videos !

[@laforzadellestelle]

@@dougie6897 Ah, yes--thank you! I had to look up the spelling, because I was thinking it was "le petit . . .," but then when I found it was "petite" I forgot to change to "la." Good catch!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

@@harpsichord Don't worry, if you pronounce a word in French a real French speaker wil not understand you as they light their Gauloise.