What is the figured bass for seventh chords?

The bass in this case is the fifth of a triad. With seventh chords additional figures are possible: A seventh chord in root position would be 7/5/3 if completely figured. In practice this is abbreviated to just “7.” A seventh chord in first inversion would be 6/5/3, and is abbreviated to 6/5.

What do figured bass symbols represent?

Figured bass symbols indicate intervals above the bass. They come from the old practice of thorough bass: composers wrote bass line and figures. The part was played by the cello player and the keyboard (continuo) player who realized the chords, filling in the harmonies.

What is the figured bass symbol for a root position triad?

For the sake of eliminating clutter, figured bass practice abbreviates figures in the following manner: => [nothing] : a note without any figures indicates a root-position triad; => 6 : a first-inversion triad; (a second inversion triad) includes both numerals to distinguish it from 6.

How do you figure figured bass?

To realize a figured bass by writing down the actual notes to be played was (and is) a traditional exercise for students learning harmony and composition, and is used by music editors to make performing editions. It was rare for established composers of the Baroque era to write down realizations.

How do you write a triad inversion?

To invert a chord, move the bottom note up an octave. A root-position C triad is spelled C E G. Moving the C (the bottom note) up an octave yields E G C. A major triad with the 3rd in the bottom is called a triad in first inversion.

What are bass position symbols?

Numbers

What does 54 mean in figured bass?

So in figured bass, 5/4 means a 5th above the root and a 4th above the root. This would mean (in your example, where C is the bass note) C, some kind of F, and some kind of G (this depends on the key signature—e.g., if you are in G major, it’s C, F#, G; if you are in C major, it’s C, F, G, etc.).