Definition of ground bass in US English:
ground bass
nounˈɡraʊnd ˌbeɪsˈɡround ˌbās
Music A short theme, usually in the bass, which is constantly repeated as the other parts of the music vary.
Example sentencesExamples
- The 4th Movement, marked ‘Largo’, is a passacaglia having a series of diverse variations over a ground bass.
- The passacaglia, strictly speaking, pits variations over a ground bass, although most composers from Brahms on shift the bass material around to all the voices, which he does as well.
- L' Arpeggiata's way of improvising on these ground basses and repeated harmonic patterns is deliciously entertaining.
- It may dawn on you (if you don't cheat and read the liner notes first) that it's also a passacaglia, a series of variations over a ground bass.
- He produced many fine sets of variations on popular melodies and ground basses as well as stylized dance music (especially pavans and galliards) and such abstract pieces as fantasias and preludes.