Basso Continuo You

Course Description

Summary

The practice of putting chords over a bass line and a melody on top – sound familiar? – exploded in the Early Baroque and we haven’t been the same since. Listening changed. Ensembles changed. And a new era of functional harmony began. Learn about figured bass, chordal voicing and interpretation, the Spanish rhythmic ostinati which fueled popular dances from the New World. We’ll dig up old bass line treasure, sight-sing, analyze, improvise and play. Bring your voice or an instrument, your brain, your ears, your pencil and some music paper. Students must be able to read and write music, and have some instrumental or vocal proficiency.