A musical accompaniment in baroque music where a bass line guides the harmonies played by instruments like harpsichord or organ.
From Italian 'continuo' (short for 'basso continuo,' meaning 'continuous bass'), derived from Latin 'continuus.' Italian musicians developed this technique in the early 1600s.
The continuo was essentially the 'rhythm section' of baroque orchestras—the harpsichord player would improvise chords from a single written bass line with numbers, making them part composer, part musician on the spot.
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