How to Play Basso Continuo: Basso Continuo Demonstration on Harpsichord 

Christmas is soon and Old Saint Nick might be reading your comment. Good luck.

You were relaxing, which would allow you to have energy, which in turn will allow you to score better on the on-line quizzes.

hahahaha

Lol, I'm here just looking for videos for a music podcast project and I legit have other pending assignments, though the 5-minute preview of my assignment is due in like 4 hours rip X"3

@XDranzer000 A Piano ought to work for realized continuo cause the dynamics can be controlled due to its sensitive velocity.

To make it cut through a Modern Orchestra I'd have to put pickups beneath the Strings and plug it into an amp so that it's even louder.

@@RockStarOscarStern634 That is one approach, but another approach that is valid (but has unfortunately died out) is to build a harpsichord that can cut through a modern orchestra. That was the idea behind the Revival harpsichords, with varying degrees of success, but with enough promise that it is too bad that this art has nearly died out as Baroque/Classical reproduction harpsichords took their rightful place in playing music of those times, but before enough modern music had been written for Revival harpsichords to establish a place for them, such as the Poulenc harpsichord concerto (Concert champêtre, written in 1927 - 1928).

@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio The Revival Harpsichords are back

@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio Baldwin made Electric Harpsichords which the Beatles played

@@RockStarOscarStern634 Did something change in the last few years? Last time I checked a few years ago, only one company (Neumann) was making them, and they weren't the best ones.

der Dennis it indeed has a lovely sound that takes me back in time

Oh yes!

Amen, just how the notes sparkle like the reflection of sunlight on a lake

@@laraurrutia how far back? Like 300 years?

@@marcussfebruary9104 Will this method of playing Continuo on the Harpsichord apply to the Piano too?

+xacharon Haha, thank you! The reverb thing is so hit or miss. I used to not add any to my videos and people complained... seems like it's a matter of personal taste. Also makes a big difference what you're listening through (laptop speakers, headphones, earbuds, computer speakers, etc.)

reverb is great keep doing it. Everyone does not use it and there plenty of examples of that. This version is unique. Chamber music should have a decent amount of reverb to mimic the sound waves bouncing off the bare stone walls and floors.

@@emilyplayscello There's also a Pedal Harpsichord which is a Harpsichord played like an Organ thanks to the Pedals that play a 2nd Harpsichord below the 1st one. The neat thing about a Pedal Harpsichord in Continuo playing is that the Pedals can play the Bass line which frees your hands up for new fingerings of the Chords that go with the Bass line.

You have my attention. Any more information or recordings available?

+hallobaaaby You're welcome, glad you liked!

+hallobaaaby You're welcome! Thank you for the comment. The jack you describe isn't possible, but there were harpsichords built with pedal-operated wooden shades to make dynamics, though generally people didn't think of dynamics and texture as separate. Our modern obsession with dynamics as a single-note phenomenon was not shared by the composers of the baroque, which perhaps explains why there are so few dynamics indicated in the music.

Thank for reply Emily and Dylan! You're right, they didn't seem to care to mark these. My theory is that often the pieces fell into 'standard' rhythm gendres, so strong beat is kinda suggested. I learned some Hotteterre piece for baroque flute, there he doesn't indicate dynamics but is superdetailed on the gracenotes--he has a whole sign language for those :))) the only thing apart from the scottish bagpipe i've seen with such standardised gracenotes :P BTW, i was thinking such jack may be possible by the virtue of a miniweight positioned somewhere on the lever: a weight tends to want to stay immobile upon accelleration and this may be used in terms to cause the jack's pick to stick more into the way of the string. While when played delicately, the same miniweight will just behave without this effect and the passage through the string will be more distant by default setting. I think it is feasable, like our fingers do it in a way. In a way, the piano hammers also use accelleration of weight to play out dynamics, though it is a different mechanism... Anyways, if i invent it i'll let you know :P Play well!!

harpsichord and lute are just examples. Organ is maybe the most common continuo instrument

@@prototypeinheritance515 Piano can play Continuo as well

The Piano is another great continuo instrument which is ideal for if you're doing modernized versions of all baroque repritore.

Not being fully written out makes instrumentation more malleable. You can play the best thing for a harpsichord if that's what you play, and the best thing for an organ of that's what you play. Heck, electric guitar might even be made to work.

@@claytonr.young-music912 You can also do it on a Dual Keyboard Accordion

+René Matei Agreed, a continuo part is easily filled with just 1 instrument, especially in earlier repertoire. In 17th century you'd often only get a chordal instrument, and towards the 18th century basslines became active enough to have the harmonies filled with a one-line sustained instrument, though each repertoire and piece varies.

+Donn Alfred Mendoza Takes bravery for sure!

+Donn Alfred Mendoza Hear, hear!

i think she said she does equal temperament so all the fingers are the same distance apart

The symbols themselves are simple. It's the improvisational skill and familiarity with the harmonic language and style that does it.

yes very normal! Often times it plays for additional strength in the section along with something an octave up like cello/bassoon/gamba, but it can be the only bowed continuo instrument also.

A bassoon would work too.

@@simEXOgaming A Lirone can play Chords too

Thank you!

@@emilyplayscello Will this method of playing Basso Continuo on Harpsichord apply to the Piano as well?

oof no

@@trashbagsmiley1999 I actually disagree because the Piano is something we have today and people would play harpsichord parts on it since the harpsichord is expensive

@@RockStarOscarStern634 You talk as if the harpsichord has gone extinct :/

@@trashbagsmiley1999 Nah I meant to say Harpsichords are really expensive.

@@RockStarOscarStern634 hahahaha yeah, but anyway I think harpsichords suit realized continuo best

Easiest isn't always best. In fact, it rarely is. I have hardly a clue about how to play basso continuo, but I want to learn it so I play this Bach violin sonata with my friend. I found a realization, bit I'm willing to put all the work into learning for myself because I know it will improve my musicality.

Well that's basically what a good bass line is doing in modern compositions

I mean jazz head charts are literally the same thing !

Jim Ventola if you're using phone (or even laptop) speakers they tend to apply compression to the sound which can squeeze out less "pointed" sounds, especially at higher volumes. You'll have much better results with external speakers or headphones.

It's one of the Pieces de Clavecin by Couperin, I recommend all of those works!

La Garnier, Francois Couperin

I actually get this complaint a lot, haha

Whats the non-American way to pronounce Baroque?

@@Checkmate1138 buh-rahk as opposed to the American buh-roak

@@TheAvgCommentator Interesting, I had no idea that they pronounce it differently elsewhere. Is this just the UK and Europe or is this also the case like in Canada or Australia?

@@Checkmate1138 I don't know. I'm from Oklahoma. I only picked up on the UK/US difference on the word "baroque" from watching a lot of Sarah Jeffery's channel.

+René Matei Much more common for gambas than cello, and you'd usually see this technique when there wasn't another chordal player like harpsichord or lute involved.

+emilyplayscello yes, I know. But they did. In Opera even still in the 19th century for the recitativi secchi.

+René Matei Sure, but I think the general rule of chordal instrument (harpsichord, lute, theorbo) and sustained instrument (cello, gamba, bassoon, violone) still applies, and what you're describing is an exception to the rule. :)

I think it depends also on what effect you want to apply to music :) ! For example, with an organ, a viola da gamba playing chords gives a very dramatic effect !

Nope :) You can learn about the difference between baroque and modern instruments in my video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R0TweEAy0sg.html

emilyplayscello I'm a baroque cellist myself, I was wondering because you aren't very mobile while playing :)

+Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo III Esq. I believe it is!

Confirming: yes it is!

Very nice post. One, if not the only continuo practical demonstration and explanation out there.

+Dylan Sauerwald Do you play a true or false inner outer and who build this harpsichord? Maybe you could tell me the builder and which original builder he reconstructed. My grandfather builded harpsichords too and I'm really interested in the theoretical practice of instrument building. Kind Regards from a german organist and harpsichord player.

This is a false inner-outer by Owen Daly. He is active on social media and has a lovely website: www.dalyharpsichords.com/

Never enough reverb. This would have been performed in a church or hall back in that day most likely. So, that would have been there.