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Figured Bass

▪The numbers we learned Monday for labeling chord inversions comes from the Baroque practice of FIGURED BASS ▪During the Baroque period ( ), the keyboard player in an ensemble read from a part consisting of a bass line and symbols that indicated what chord to play

Figured Bass ▪The example below illustrates a portion of an actual figured bass part from the Baroque period. ▪Bach included the number 5 at several places to remind the performer to play a root position triad #5# n

Figured Bass ▪Below is an example of a possible realization – this is what the keyboard player would’ve improvised when given the figured bass on the previous slide ▪Some keyboard players may have added embellishments not shown in this realization.

Figured Bass ▪The realization of figured basses is still considered to be an effective way to learn certain aspects of tonal composition, and there will occasionally be exercises related to it

Figured Bass Practice 6 6 DMGMc#°

Figured Bass Practice DMd#°BMm7

Figured Bass Practice EmF#Mm7 Bm

Figured Bass Practice 6 6 # EMAMEMAM

Lead Sheet Symbols

▪There are some intriguing parallels and contrasts between the figured bass system of the 17 th and 18 th centuries and the lead sheet symbols (sometimes called “pop symbols”) developed for jazz and popular music in the 20 th and 21 st centuries ▪Both facilitated the notation process and served to provide sufficient information to allow the performer to improvise within certain bounds ▪However, whereas the figured bass system provided the bass line with symbols indicating the chords that were to be constructed ABOVE it, lead sheet symbols appear along with a melody and indicate the chords that are to be constructed BELOW

Lead Sheet Symbols ▪Lead Sheet Symbols are understood by jazz and pop musicians, and can further help students understand chords ▪Below are four triad types and their associated lead sheet symbols Major minor diminished augmented Lead Sheet: E Em Edim E+

Lead Sheet Symbols ▪Below are 5 types of 7 th chords and their Lead Sheet Symbols M7 Mm7 m7 7 7 Lead Sheet: EM7 E7 Em7 Em7b5 Edim7

Lead Sheet Symbols ▪There are several other lead sheet symbols that we’ll get to later ▪C6, for example, is a C Major Triad with an added note a 6 th above the root ▪Symbols can also specify a particular bass note, as in C/G which calls for a C Major triad with a G in the bass – a triad in second inversion

Lead Sheet Symbol Practice ▪Build the chord: ▪Am7 ▪D7 ▪GM7 ▪CM7 ▪F#m7b5 ▪B7 ▪Em

Lead Sheet Symbol Practice ▪Build the chord: ▪A/C# ▪F7/C ▪D6 ▪C/G ▪Dm7/A ▪E6

Assignment ▪Exercise 3-3 – Due THURSDAY