ground bass
- noun
- /ɡraʊnd bæs/
- Specialized
:
bajo continuo
- A ground bass creates a solid foundation for the melody.
Examples
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The composer used a ground bass to give the piece a sense of unity and continuity.
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The composer used a ground bass in his new piece.
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Many Baroque compositions feature a ground bass as a foundation for elaborate melodic variations.
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The repeating ground bass in the song creates a hypnotic effect for the listener.
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The composer used a ground bass to create a rich texture in the music, repeating the same bass line throughout.
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In classical music, a ground bass is often employed to provide a persistent foundation for the vocal harmonies above.
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During the rehearsal, the musicians focused on the ground bass to ensure it was played consistently while the melody changed.
Synonyms
9
3.4
A low rhythm or melody played by bass instruments that gives music its beat and depth
Surface Forms
Morphology
The common senses given ('ground' = soil; 'bass' = low instrument) do not directly yield the notion of a continually repeated structural bass phrase, so an average B1 learner would not predict the full meaning. However, if 'ground' is interpreted as 'foundation' there is a partial, domain-specific cue (a foundational bass line), making the relation partly inferable but ultimately dependent on musical knowledge.
Etymology
Ground bass comes from the picture of a low, repeating tune that works like the ground under a house. The word bass points to the low voice and ground means 'foundation', so the repeating low line supports the changing melodies above it and that's why it means 'a short phrase or melody in the bass that repeats while the upper parts vary'.