basso continuo

See also: Basso continuo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian basso continuo (literally “continuous bass”).

Noun

basso continuo (usually uncountable, plural basso continuos)

1. (music) The continuous realization of harmony throughout a musical piece, usually by a harpsichord and/or cello, typical of the Baroque period. Abbreviation: bc.

   Synonyms: bc, continuo

Derived terms

• continuo

Translations

continuous realization of harmony

Catalan: baix continu m Finnish: kenraalibasso (fi) French: basse continue (fr) f German: Generalbass (de) m, Basso continuo m, Continuo m Italian: basso continuo m Polish: basso continuo (pl) n Portuguese: baixo contínuo m Spanish: bajo continuo m

See also

• figured bass
• walking bass

Further reading

• figured bass on Wikipedia.Wikipedia