thorough bass
- noun
- /ˈθɜroʊ ˌbeɪs/
- Specialized
:
bajo continuo
- In Baroque music, a thorough bass line helps to outline the chord progression for the accompanist.
Examples
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Composers often used thorough bass to provide musicians with harmonic guidance in their performances.
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Learning to play thorough bass requires understanding the figures that indicate chord changes.
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Adding thorough bass figures to a score is not as straightforward as creating a comment.
Academic text (2012)
Synonyms
9
3.4
A low rhythm or melody played by bass instruments that gives music its beat and depth
1
6.3
The lowest singing or instrument line that plays deep notes to support the music
A bass part with numbers that show which chords a keyboard player should play
A low part in Baroque music that supports the harmony and is played throughout by instruments like cello and harpsichord
A continuous low bass part played on a keyboard alongside a bass instrument with numbers that show the chords
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'figured bass' is a specialized, historical musical term that cannot be derived from the literal senses of 'thorough' (careful, complete) and 'bass' (low-pitched instrument). The composition is jargon/archaisms (originally 'through bass') and therefore unpredictable to a B1 learner who only knows the ordinary meanings of the constituents.
Etymology
Thorough bass comes from Baroque music where composers wrote only a strong low line with small numbers to show the chords above it. The single bass line acted as a complete or thorough guide for players to 'fill in' the harmony, so the term means the bass part written with numbers that show the accompanying chords.