MUS 217– Aaron Grant

REALIZING FIGURED BASSES

The practice of realizing figured basses is a practice that harkens back to before Roman numerals were invented, and was an essential part of the training of many canonical composers. Similarly, realizing figured basses is one of the most important tasks in your music-theoretical training. Though it may seem daunting at first, this handout will give you a list of steps that will help you accomplish this task accurately and fluently.

The each step below is illustrated using this bassline in B minor: ?# 4 #4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w w #6 66 87 4 5 3 ƒ

STEP 1: DETERMINE THE KEY

Begin by determining the key of the exercise. This can be done most easily by looking for cadences (5–^ 1^ in the bass for authentic cadences and simply 5^ for half cadences).

^5 ^1 ?# 4 w #4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w #6 66 87 4 5 3 ƒ

STEP 2: WRITE OUT THE NOTES OF EACH CHORD

Determine the notes of each chord by using the numbers written below the bass line and write the notes above the staff stacked like triads and seventh chords (include the bass pitch). Simply put, each number indicates an interval above the bass. Thus, to find the notes of each chord, you simply need to count up the indicated number of scale steps above the bass using pitches diatonic in the key. In some cases, however, figures may be abbreviated or a number may be modified by a symbol. The points on the following page will prepare you for any of these circumstances, and should thus be memorized.

NOTE: In most cases, inversion symbols and figured bass numbers mean the same thing (e.g., a fl“ ” means first-inversion triad, a #“ ” indicates a first-inversion seventh chord), and can therefore help you speed up your process. MUS 217– Aaron Grant

FIGURED BASS ABBREVIATIONS:

Triad Abbreviations:

1. No numbers indicates the need for a third and fifth above the bass and stands for! . Thus, if you see no numbers, you will need a root-position chord.

2. A sole “fl” indicates the need for a sixth and third above the bass and stands for £fl. Thus, this symbols means you will need a first-inversion triad.

Seventh Chord Abbreviations:

1. A sole “‡” stands for £∞‡ and indicates a root-position 7th chord.

2. The figure “∞fl” stands for £∞fl and indicates a first-inversion 7th chord.

3. The figure “$” stands for ¢fl£ and indicates a second-inversion 7th chord.

4. The figure “%” stands for ™¢fl and indicates a third-inversion 7th chord.

FIGURED BASS SYMBOLS:

1. If you see an accidental next to a number, apply the accidental to that pitch (a slash may also be used to indicate raising the note by a half step).

For example, in the bass below, the ƒ6/4/3 written below the second pitch indicates that the sixth above the bass is raised from A to ƒA.

2. If you see an accidental by itself, raise or lower the third above the bass.

For example, the sharp written below the penultimate bass note indicates a raised third above the bass (ƒA).

3. If there is a dash between two numbers (or between a number and an accidental), those intervals should be in the same voice-leading strand. Often, this indicates a type of suspension.

For example, in the figure below, the 8–7 incidates that the there are two chords above the bass note, the second of which contains a 7th above the bass that must fall by step from the doubled bass note (an 8ve above the bass) in the previous chord. MUS 217– Aaron Grant

E B Fƒ E Fƒ Cƒ Fƒ G Cƒ Cƒ D Aƒ D E Aƒ Aƒ B Fƒ B Cƒ Fƒ Fƒ # & # ?# w # ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w #6 66 87 4 5 { 3 ƒ STEP 3: DETERMINE THE ROOT OF THE CHORDS

Use the notes above the staff to ascertain the root of each chord, and write in the appropriate Roman numeral below the staff.

E B Fƒ E Fƒ Cƒ Fƒ G Cƒ Cƒ D Aƒ D E Aƒ Aƒ B Fƒ B Cƒ Fƒ Fƒ # & # ?# # ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w w #6 66 87 4 5 3 ƒ { i V$ ifl iiø# V° ‡ i MUS 217– Aaron Grant

STEP 4: WRITE IN YOUR UPPER VOICES

Write in the upper voices, paying close attention to: 1. Avoid parallel octaves and fifths 2. Avoid leaps of more than a third 3. Anticipate and resolve all chordal sevenths down by step 4. Resolve all leading tones up by step unless in an inner voice—then it can move down by third 5. Move in contrary motion to the bass where possible E B Fƒ E Fƒ Cƒ Fƒ G Cƒ Cƒ D Aƒ D E Aƒ Aƒ B Fƒ B Cƒ Fƒ Fƒ # ˙ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w & # ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙˙ #˙ ˙ w

?## ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w w #6 66 87 4 5 3 ƒ { i V$ ifl iiø# V° ‡ i

STEP 5: PLAY YOUR WORK ON THE KEYBOARD AND CHECK IT FOR ERRORS

Did you: 1. Avoid parallel octaves and fifths? 2. Avoid leaps of more than a third? 3. Anticipate and resolve all chordal sevenths down by step? 4. Resolve all leading tones up by step unless in an inner voice—then it can move down by third? 5. Move in contrary motion to the bass where possible?