Basso continuo example

An example is C. P. E. Bach's Concerto in D minor for flute, strings and basso continuo. Examples of its use in the 19th century are rarer, but they do exist: masses by Anton Bruckner, Beethoven, and Franz Schubert, for example, have a basso continuo part for an organist to play.

1. What is a basso continuo in music?
2. What is a basso continuo used for?
3. Which instruments form the basso continuo?
4. How does a basso continuo work?

What is a basso continuo in music?

Basso continuo, also called continuo, thoroughbass, or figured bass, in music, a system of partially improvised accompaniment played on a bass line, usually on a keyboard instrument.

What is a basso continuo used for?

A basso continuo is, in 17th- and 18th- century music, the bass line and keyboard part that provide a harmonic framework for a piece of music.

Which instruments form the basso continuo?

The basso continuo was usually played with a low line instrument, like a cello or bassoon, and a chord instrument, like a harpsichord, organ, or lute.

How does a basso continuo work?

In basso continuo the bass line is written out exactly, while the chordal instrument (or instruments) improvise an accompanying harmony part based upon the implied underlying chord progression. In tandem, these two parts provide the foundation and harmonic framework of the ensemble, as well as the rhythmic pulse.