Realizing Figured Bass - Inside the Mind of Bach

[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I'm watching this again for a review, and to tell you about the Rule of the Octave. You demonstrated it, and I found out about Partementi and I find myself back to the beginning in my musical training. I've been playing piano for almost a year, and was frustrated that I didn't have a melody in my head. That might be because I have Aural Aphantasia. That is a handicap for a musician, but I've overcome more serious handicaps in my professional life and done quite well. I am spending time harmonizing the tonic, third and fifth, and singing. I have a horrible voice, but I have a pitch monitoring software and it shows I'm close enough that I'm getting the idea. I did an amateur figured analysis of Bach Do Majeure Prélude and played it with a deeper understanding. My version isn't a real figured bass since I should only have the bass note. I would like to thank you for demonstrating music matters in such a thorough style.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@afonsodeportugal]

This was amazing! You fully explained figured bass, which normally takes an entire college lecture to understand, in less than 10 mins! 😮 Excellent work!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@m.walther6434]

Great lesson, as ever, thank you very much. From another music teacher, Dr. John Mortensen, who is teaching classical improvisation, also on KZbin, I'v learnd that, given a bass line, one has to apply the Rule of the Octave to get the harmonisation, i.e the figured bass. I'll try.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Figured Bass is certainly worth exploring

[@geriatricyclist1950]

When I did some music units as part of my BA (as well as AMEB theory exams) back in the late 90s whilst I appreciated the overall idea of figured bass the fine detail eluded me. I now have it. Thanks muchly really good.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great.

[@martinlang5139]

Thank you very much Gareth for this excellent tutorial on figured bass 🎉 Of course I also watched your other videos on the topic. Repeatedly. You have amazing teaching skills, and I like your concept and style.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind.

[@Chuukwudi]

I watched your previous video dedicated specifically to the figured bass but I understood figured bass better from this video.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent

[@jayducharme]

The first I ever heard of figured bass was on your channel a few years ago, and it mystified me. This certainly helped clear things up for me. But I'll need a lot of practice to get comfortable with it. I can see how it makes a lot of sense as a shorthand for composers.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Keep going with it. It’s a very good way of thinking through things.

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

There is a figured bass music book I found useful for practice. Sorry can't remember name now. Something like figured bass realisation. It takes practice like everything else. I must get back to it. A while since I did. Many thanks for the prompt video. ( Getting back after years of raising children). Your videos are encouraging me. Still don't have much time, but it's great to get back to thinking, and admiring Bach endlessly.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. Go for it!

[@ilninfeo]

Excellent! Thank you, dear Gareth!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci beacuoup. Last week I had no idea what a figured bass was, and now I've got a basic understanding that I will study this until it's in my fingers. Can I just say that you are a great teacher?

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more on this in our advanced theory course at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@DavidL1980]

Thank you so much for this video, I learnt so much!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@davidwhite2949]

I’ve noticed figured bass can be a good starting point for writing a cantata. By adding passing tones and ornaments

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely

[@abagatelle]

If you add the numbers for triads, they go up by step: 5+3=8, 6+3=9, 6+4=10. Conversely, 7ths go down by step: 7+5+3=15, 6+5+3=14, 6+4+3=13, 6+5+2=12. Is this significant or just an interesting quirk?

[@abagatelle]

Oops, last one is 6+4+2=12

[@MusicMattersGB]

Interesting. I’ve never thought of it like that before

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@riverstun]

This is something I've been meaning to get into more. Bach thought in terms of figured bass, so that's what his method of composition was based on. It's not just a different notation system, therefore, its a different compositional system. To "get inside the mind of Bach", one has to think in terms of figured basses, not in terms of Roman Numerals (although they are easier to think in terms of). What exactly this means, I'm not quite sure. Does it mean that Bach followed Partimenti and the Rule of the Octave? I wish I could take just 4 classes in beginning composing with Bach. How did he work? Did he take a soprano line, then use Fuxian counterpoint to develop a bass, and then fill in the parts above the bass using the rule of the octave? Then adding in passing tones, suspensions etc? To write as prolifically as he did, I'm sure there was a strong mechanical component to it. Figured bass plays a strong role in this, I'm pretty sure, but I havent worked out exactly how yet. I guess the question is did he (a) work out the harmony and then calculate the figures needed as shorthand for the chords he had worked out, or (b) did he have a mental memory for the right figures to place at any point in the music and only work out the note placings after?; that is, did he essentially just scribble a bass line under the given chorale tune and then add in the figures pretty mechanically, like "Oh, second note usually gets a 6" or "Cadence goes 5, 42, 5" (or whatever). If this latter, then you just gotta memorize figure sequences (like the rule of the octave).

[@MusicMattersGB]

Bach had stacks of technique and he must have taken different approaches depending on what he was writing eg harmonising a Chorale is a different process from writing a fugue. His technique was so honed that he was able to think from chords to melodic lines in a fully integrated way.

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

@@MusicMattersGB absolutely. Bach was the ultimate genius. He demonstrates huge creative mathematics in his music. Interesting facts, he was an organ builder, and had an ability to tell the acoustic quirks of any room. This was very useful in a time when there were no mike's etc. Worth admiring and learning from.

[@toptrump1499]

Thank you Gareth!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@worldmusictheory]

Amazing video as always Gareth, quick question I've always wanted to know, who is your favourite composer?

[@MusicMattersGB]

JS Bach, without a doubt.

[@waffleman-]

My favourite series

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@Dave-nm8uk]

Excellent. Only one comment about the music. If played by a keyboard player with LH/RH "as normal", then the four part harmonisation in bar 2 gives quite a stretch in the LH for the last two beats. Of course the RH could help out. That could be an extra thing for keyboard players to trip up over. Maybe players really do get to be able to do this kind of thing "on the hoof", just as jazz players can play directly from chord symbols. The numbers are a bit hard to see [bit fuzzy] in the video - so is there a chance of a link to a clear image available - perhaps put down below where links often go? Thanks for this one.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Quite often keyboard players will realise figured bass 3 notes in the RH 1 note in the LH but one can be totally flexible, even with the number of parts

[@garidnatsag4760]

Thanks

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@jackdeago3639]

Thank you so much

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@emilyrln]

This seems needlessly convoluted, but I'm sure that's only because I haven't studied it and have my own shorthand for musical notation (that other people would likely find convoluted!) 😂 Fascinating video!

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s actually very logical once you’ve got your head around the principle. Amazing system

[@profounddamas]

One thing that amazes me about writing music is that no one (at least to my knowledge) made an attempt to write music using only the treble clef (or just one clef whatever that is) with indications of octaves written above the stave. To me they made it terribly complex what could be so simple. I'm sure this would improve piano learning a lot for apprentices. It's much simpler when you read only one language instead of two (treble plus bass clefs) at the same time. Simply write the octave you want above the stave from the bar you want onward. And of course you are free to use ledger lines but only so much. Reminds me complex numbers. They are not complex they are just plane coordinates, sure they must have some rules for arithmetic operations but what's complex about them?

[@MusicMattersGB]

The trouble is that would leave you without harmony.

[@riverstun]

@@MusicMattersGB Also, would confuse singer voice ranges

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@profounddamas]

@@MusicMattersGB No the notes for both left hand and right hand are still there. One treble clef for the left hand and one treble clef for the right hand. So no harmony loss. I'm sorry if I didn't explain myself correct since I'm not a native english speaker. In fact I'm not the first one to complain about that, it came to my mind I saw a video from a violinist youtube channel calling pianists poor men because we would have to read on sight two different clefs at the same time.

[@profounddamas]

@@riverstun I'm taking about piano/organ only since you need left and right hands. So one treble clef for the left hand and one treble clef for the right hand. Simple because it's just one language. You just have to identify the octaves with some markings above the stave. I wish I could use one of those music writing softwares to show the concept but I would have to learn a complex program that wasn't meant to work like that anyway.

[@Trash-Beats]

Young man you looking younger younger each video? I’m 63, I’m guessing you in your 40s, thanks for all u do

[@MusicMattersGB]

Ha ha. I’m flattered but actually I’m 62!

[@Trash-Beats]

@@MusicMattersGB unbelievable Sir, what’s your secret on looking young

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀😀Keep smiling

[@Trash-Beats]

@@MusicMattersGB 🙏

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@TheShink]

You stated baroque players think from the bass upwards 135, yet all the theory is top down 53 63 64 🙈

[@MusicMattersGB]

I’m not saying that players think from the bass upwards but the composers. The figured bass theory works from the bottom up.

[@riverstun]

A lot of older music is basically variations on a bass line - Pachelbel's Canon, the Goldberg bass, and so on. Like Gounod's Ave Maria, they then stuck a soprano on top that went OK with the bass. Today, we have soprano singers, and they hunt around for a bass note to go with their soprano tune.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

All comes originally from turning plain chant music into cantus firmus. It's worth looking at the development of harmony in medieval times to help understand how this bass up thinking came about. Basically, singers started improvising over plainchant. This was later notated, and improved. Notre Dame school of polyphony. Information available online.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s certainly essential background then of course the Renaissance played a huge part in the next part of the development

[@johnhawkinshawkins1284]

my brain hurts. MIDI please

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀