Continuo
Continuo is the short form of “basso continuo”, also called figured bass. The part contains only the bass line, often with figures above the notes. A chord instrument such as the harpsichord or organ turns it into harmonies, and a low melody instrument can reinforce the bass line.
- What is notated
- only the bass part, often with figures
- Chord instrument
- for example harpsichord, organ or lute
- Bass instrument
- for example cello or bassoon
- Typical of
- Baroque music
One part from which chords are made
The word “continuo” is the short form of “basso continuo” and means the figured bass: a bass part to which suitable harmonies are played. The composer does not write out the chords but notates the bass line, and the players build from it the chords that fit the melody and the course of the piece. This is usually done by an instrument that can play chords, such as the harpsichord, organ or lute. The bass line itself is often reinforced by a low instrument such as the cello or bassoon. This produces an accompaniment in two parts: bass and chords. It is especially typical of Baroque music.
What is in the continuo part
Five bass notes in the bass clef, nothing more. In a real figured bass, figures would show which chords sound above them. The listening example below plays one possible realisation.
Figures above the bass
Which chords are meant is shown by figures above or below the bass notes, the figured bass numerals. The figures give intervals, counted from the bass note. If there is no figure, a triad with third and fifth belongs to it. The table shows common figures and what they ask for. Of these, 6 over 4 and 6 over 5 occur in Vivaldi’s “Spring”. The 5 over 3 also found there names fifth and third, that is, the same triad as a missing figure.
| Figure | Notes above the bass | Example (bass in C major) |
|---|---|---|
| none | third and fifth | Bass C: C–E–G |
| 6 | third and sixth, six-three chord | Bass E: E–G–C |
| 6 over 4 | fourth and sixth, six-four chord | Bass G: G–C–E |
| 7 | third, fifth and seventh | Bass G: G–B–D–F |
| 6 over 5 | third, fifth and sixth, six-five chord | Bass B: B–D–F–G |
The listening example below plays the five bass notes with one possible realisation. At the second chord (bass E) a figured part would have a 6, at the fourth (bass G) a 7. The position of the chord notes above is part of the realisation and is not fixed.
In the sheet music archive
Figured bass in the archive
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Der Frühling (La Primavera) Antonio Vivaldi, from: The Four Seasons, op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 · score · 23 pages
The lowest staff is labelled “Organo e Violoncello” and is in the bass clef. On page 1 figures appear above the bass part: in bar 3 and bar 6 a 6 over a 5 on the second of the two eighth notes, in bar 7 a 6 over 4 and a quarter note later a 5 over 3. The same two figures follow again in bars 8, 9 and 11. On page 2 bar 12 carries the pairs 6 over 4 and 5 over 3 twice.
Only a mention in the instrumentation
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Kanon D-Dur Johann Pachelbel · violin · 1 page
The subtitle names the instrumentation “Canon per 3 Violini e Basso continuo”. The sheet, however, contains only one line, the violin. The continuo part belongs to the work but is not included here.
In bar 7 the 6 over 4 is followed a quarter note later by the 5 over 3: fourth and sixth above the bass become third and fifth, each moving one step down. “Spring” also shows that continuo is not a single instrument but a task: the lowest staff is expressly headed for two instruments.
Common mistakes
- Reading figures as pitches: They name intervals above the bass, not notes.
- Taking continuo for an instrument: It is a part that a chord instrument and often a bass instrument carry out together.
- Inferring the part from the title: The archive sheet for the canon names basso continuo in the subtitle but contains only the violin.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
Figured bassRoman numeralsBaroqueHarpsichordOrganBass clefAccompanimentSix-three chordSix-four chordSix-five chordTriadChord
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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