Topmusicanswers
What does a 7 in figured bass mean?
A seventh chord in root position would be 7/5/3 if completely figured. In practice this is abbreviated to just "7." A seventh chord in first inversion would be 6/5/3, and is abbreviated to 6/5. A seventh chord in second inversion would be 6/4/3, and is abbreviated to 4/3.
What is a 6 figured bass?
The figured bass is therefore written: . . . which means this: ... Therefore, a bass note with a “6” beneath it automatically means that that bass note represents the third of a chord, and that there will be two notes — one at an interval of a 3rd, and one at an interval of a 6th — above it.
What is a 4 in figured bass?
In figured bass, both the suspension and resolution need to be figured. • In the above example, the "alien" note in the C major chord is a 4th above the bass, so we figure it with a 4. • The 4th above the bass (F) moves ("resolves") to the third above the bass (E), so we figure that with a 3.
