Basso Continuo Question

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Vince
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Basso Continuo Question

Post by Vince »

Even after reading the Wikipedia article on Basso Continuo, I still can't get my head around what it actually IS.

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basso_continuo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basso_cont ... o_continuo

Whenever concertos mention "continuo", it seems to involve lots of minims and semibreves. Is the continuo something like a modern-day "wash", but limited to the bass register?

I understood the part about figured bass. But it sounds like the written continuo was just a general harmonic indication whereas, in performance, a lot was improvised and one wasn't necessarily bound to play long notes? Or were the long notes obligatory?

I mean, I can see that "continuo" = "continuous" and that in order to BE continuous, one must avoid staccato notes but the illustrations in Wiki don't always show white notes.

Anybody?
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Re: Basso Continuo Question

Post by Ears »

It's baroque "comping", usually over a written bass line. A figured bass is where the harmony is defined by the bass and figure (inversion).
A continuo is a baroque or renaissance rhythm section.
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Re: Basso Continuo Question

Post by Vince »

Ears wrote:It's baroque "comping", usually over a written bass line. A figured bass is where the harmony is defined by the bass and figure (inversion).
A continuo is a baroque or renaissance rhythm section.
Yeah, but is it all minims and semibreves or could the continuo be made up of quavers? Admittedly, I've never HEARD a staccato continuo, but perhaps as an embellishment over the root of the chord?
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Re: Basso Continuo Question

Post by Ears »

Vince wrote:
Ears wrote:It's baroque "comping", usually over a written bass line. A figured bass is where the harmony is defined by the bass and figure (inversion).
A continuo is a baroque or renaissance rhythm section.
Yeah, but is it all minims and semibreves or could the continuo be made up of quavers? Admittedly, I've never HEARD a staccato continuo, but perhaps as an embellishment over the root of the chord?
Most modern harmonic rhythm moves at similar pace. As an accompanist would you like the harmony to change on every quaver?
In short, the harmony changes at speed dicated by the music. An accompanist may flesh out the bass line and even the harmonies with connective material depending on context, same as jazz guys do.
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Re: Basso Continuo Question

Post by Vince »

Aaah... of course. I hear the continuo as slow but that's only because I'm listening to the adagio part of concertos when everything is slow. It all makes sense now. Thanks! 8)
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Re: Basso Continuo Question

Post by Vince »

LOL :P Ok, what I meant was that I notice the bass more during the adagio parts of concertos.
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