Figured bass is essentially an older way of notating chords, commonly used for writing a continuo part. Where modern notation might use a chord symbol like “C Major,” figured bass focuses on the most important element: the bass line. Everything else is built on top of it, and described in relation to it.

Decoding the Numbers

In figured bass, the numbers underneath a note describe the intervals above that specific bass note. This tells the player — whether on a harpsichord, lute, or organ — how to construct the full chord from the bass upwards.

Root Position: 5/3 [00:01:26]

For a C Major chord in root position, the intervals above the C are a third (E) and a fifth (G). Technically this is a 5/3 chord. In practice though, a bass note with no numbers underneath it is understood to be a root position triad — it’s the default, so the numbers are omitted.

First Inversion: 6/3 [00:04:17]

In modern terms you might see this as a slash chord (C/E). In figured bass, E goes to the bottom. The intervals above that E are now a third (G) and a sixth (C), notated as 6/3 — or often just 6 [00:09:03], since the shorthand is well understood.

Second Inversion: 6/4 [00:07:09]

When G is at the bottom, the intervals above it become a fourth (C) and a sixth (E), notated as 6/4. Unlike the other inversions, there’s no shorthand here — you must write both numbers, as each one is needed to identify this specific chord.

Solid Foundation Required

By the time you reach ABRSM Theory Grade 6, your knowledge of intervals, keys, and major/minor signatures needs to be immediate [00:06:13]. You don’t have time to work out intervals on your fingers during the exam — it has to be instant. Figured bass can feel abstract at first, but once you see how directly it maps onto the intervals you already know, it becomes a very practical shorthand.

If you’re preparing for your Grade 6 exam and want to move past the working-out phase and into fluent reading, get in touch — I’m looking forward to hearing your story.