Inversions
Inversions occur when a tone other than the root is the lowest sounding voice in a chord.
Figured Bass
- Shorthand dating back to the Baroque era.
- Performers were expected to improvise a harmony above a written figured bass note.
- The notation describes diatonic (or chromatic) intervals above a given bass note.
“Realizing” A Figured Bass
Chromatic Alterations
An accidental appearing alone alters the third above the bass (NOT always the third of the chord!)
An accidental preceding or following a number alters that interval above the bass (NOT always related to chord tone.)
Passing Tones
If there is a non-harmonic passing tone present, it must be accounted for in the figured bass.
Application to Roman Numeral Analysis
Figured bass survives in contemporary analysis as a way to show inversions in Roman Numeral Analysis.
Chromatic alterations to chords (mainly occurring in minor passages) also must be notated.
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