Harpsichord figured bass

1. What is figured bass harpsichord?
2. Why is the accompaniment played by the harpsichord called figured bass?
3. Who invented figured bass?

What is figured bass harpsichord?

Figured bass is a system of numbers and symbols written beneath the continuo line that indicated the harmonies that were to be improvised by the instrument playing the chords, usually the harpsichord.

Why is the accompaniment played by the harpsichord called figured bass?

The notation for the bass part uses number to indicate the basic chords that should form part of the accompaniment. Why is the accompaniment played by the harpsichord called figured bass? A piece that sounds fairly complete and independent and is part of a larger composition. What is a movement in musical composition?

Who invented figured bass?

The composer Lodovico Viadana is often credited with the first publication of such a continuo, in a 1602 collection of motets that according to his own account had been originally written in 1594.