Ground bass意思
"Ground bass" or "basso ostinato" is a musical technique where a short, repeated melodic pattern or chord progression serves as the bass line for a piece. This pattern provides a stable foundation over which the melody and other parts can develop, creating a sense of continuity and structure. The term "ground bass" comes from the French "basse continue" or "basse de fond" and the Italian "basso continuo," which both refer to the continuous bass line in Baroque music.
The ground bass technique has been used in various styles of music, including Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary music. It is particularly associated with the Baroque era, where it was used in instrumental works, choral music, and operas. One of the most famous examples of a ground bass is the "Dorian" ground bass, which is a repeating pattern of four bars in the Dorian mode (a type of medieval church mode).
The ground bass can be used in different ways, such as:
- As a basis for variation, where the upper parts change while the bass line remains the same.
- As a structural element, providing a unifying thread throughout a piece or section of a piece.
- As a compositional device to create contrast with other sections of the music.
Some well-known compositions that use ground bass include:
- Henry Purcell's "Chacony in G minor"
- George Frideric Handel's "Suite in G minor" (HWV 432), which includes a famous chaconne based on a ground bass
- Antonio Vivaldi's "Lute Concerto in D major" (RV 93)
- Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on the G String" (from Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068), which is based on a ground bass
In contemporary music, the ground bass concept is still used, often in the form of a repeating riff or bass line that provides a foundation for a song or section of a song.