My favorite line "If you've learned anything in Theory 1, it's that musicians are lazy and hate writing things out and will do whatever they can to try to shorthand it." LOL, this has BLESSED ME!
Interesting to revisit this after 30 + years out of school. I struggled with this then, and still can't say I completely understand now. It's like algebra for music majors.
Decided to revisit this and brush up after having been 20 years removed from my 18th cent. counterpoint class. Clear, concise and much appreciated. Thanks for helping to jog my memory.
thanks my ap music theory exam is tomorrow and my teacher quit halfway thru the year so im attempting to learn half the course in one night this was very helpful
The vii is 7, the o (suppose to be in the air like this *) means diminished (1 b3 b5) and he put a 6 because it's got a 6 in the figures, not because it's an actual 6 chord (like C6 CEGA)
I believe you made a mistake. In the first example on that F#, you say that the F# is the root, when the 6 underneath says it's an inversion, thus making the F# the 3rd of the chord, not the root.
I am trying to understand figured bass but something is eluding me. I understanding the whole rational of the no number, accidentals with or without number, etc. But my brain is confused when I try to understand how to tell what position the bass note is in the chord. I hear you say if the bass note is the third or fifth of the chord. I am lost there.
Sir, Thank you very much for you answer. I will definitely look up this resource. As I understand it is the textbook you use with your college students.
The key thing to getting figured bass is the shorthand *of* the shorthand angle. I do wonder though, while this system covers the inversions of linear/four-way close voicings, does it have anything for non-linear voicings ... drop-2's, drop-3's, drop 2/4, etc...? I'm a relative tourist with this particular system. Does it cover those types of voicings? Or does they fall more under the improv part of continuo playing?
I can't reconcile the D sharp in the B seventh chord that you mentioned. Wouldn't D sharp be the third of the chord? You said that when there is. Number with the accodental, the accidental is applied to that number above the baseline. If this is so as you say, shouldn't the sharp be on the A above the bass note of B? Confused.
Hi - the accidental is below the number, doing its own thing (implying the third). If the accidental were right next to the 7, it would indeed apply to the A. Thanks!
I do not understand how “6” indicated a first inversion triad. A first inversion triad has a 3rd and a 5th above the bass note. Where does the 6 come from?????? If I’m playing c major triad first inversion, a sixth above the root is A, which is not one of the notes in the chord at all????????
Hi! The numbers refer to interval above the bass note, not the root. For your example of C major, if E is in the bass, then C is a 6th above. Hope this helps!
Great video! I hope that you gave someone permission to use your material on skillshare, because there's definitely an instructor using this video on there...
Thanks! I didn't, but it is here for free on RU-vid, and folks are certainly free to link to it. If you are paying someone else for this material, I hope you're getting something else out of that bargain...
Chord 2 on the F# - you say 7th diminished 6th chord. So I get that 7th degree (of E minor) is d# because of the chromatic alteration in the figured bass - #6 (D gets raised to D#) but you refer to the Roman numeral nonemclature when you call it 7th chord right? 'vii diminished 6th chord. But if the notes are d# F# and A what does the dimished 6th refer to? D# - A is a diminished 5th. Can you clarify please thanks?
I think I've got it. 6 in the Roman symbol 'vii dimished 6th chord' 3:58 refers to 1st inversion? I was expecting a letter b to indicate 1st inversion as you're using roman numerals. I would have preferred it if you had said vii dimished chord in a first inversion - indicated by a 6. Or the letter b for first inversion which is what I'm used to. Obviously I get the figured bass 6 and 6 4 conventions.
Hate it how this guys says that musicians are lazy and will avoid writing it out when it's the COMPOSERS who write the music.... -_- We musicians are the ones who do the work of deciphering it.
The numbers explain the intervals above the bass-ie where the other notes in the chord are located- how many half steps above the bass, sort of summation notation.
Hi Tony! I'm not sure where you saw this notation - it is a little bit unusual. Usually if 5 is written, 3 is as well! I would expect it means a root position triad, but I suppose there is a small chance that the notation would refer to an open fifth (no third).
Thank you. I'm looking at the British Grade 8 ABRSM theory paper 2015. A 5 occurs on its own six times. For example, on one bar there's a 6/5 then a 5 on its own, then a 6
Ok! The 5 is replacing the 6 from earlier in the bar; they do not re-write the implied 3 from 6/5/3, which sort of "carries over." So here, the 5 is indeed indicating a root position triad.
