Exercise

Bass 198 — Bass in thirds, minor

First inversion (6)A minor

Corpus id bass-198 · cite this id — it is permanent

What it teaches

A bass falling by thirds through sixth chords, sharing tones at every join until the diminished sixth chord turns it home.

The given bass

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6	bar 7
Bass	A3	F3	D3	B2	C3	E3	A2
Figures		6		#6	6	#

The given bass and its figures (A minor, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

The model realization

4/4	bar 1	bar 2	bar 3	bar 4	bar 5	bar 6	bar 7
Soprano	C5	D5	D5	D5	C5	B4	C5
Alto	A4	A4	A4	G♯4	A4	G♯4	A4
Tenor	E4	D4	F4	D4	E4	E4	E4
Bass	A3	F3	D3	B2	C3	E3	A2
Figures		6		#6	6	#

The model realization (A minor, 4/4; ⌒ = tied from the previous note)

Each falling third keeps two tones of the chord before it, so the harmony changes color more than it changes place — motion that gathers weight without spending it. The ♯6 names the raised tone directly: over this bass the sixth is the leading tone, and it rises.

At the keyboard

The three upper voices of the model realization fit under one hand. Falling thirds share two tones at every join — hold them. The hand should feel the harmony sinking, not jumping. Carry it into D minor, E minor.

Voice-leading patterns this exercise drills

Cite this exercise

Gradus Figured-Bass Corpus, bass-198 — Bass in thirds, minor. v1.0. https://gradusmusic.com/figured-bass-corpus/exercise/bass-198

Corpus v1.0 · licensed CC-BY-4.0 · machine-readable at /api/v1/figured-bass/exercises/bass-198

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