ground bass

Also found in: Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ground bass

 (bās)
n. Music
1. A bassline that is continually repeated throughout a composition.
2. A composition having such a bassline.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ground bass

(beɪs) or

ground

n
(Music, other) music a short melodic bass line that is repeated over and over again
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ground′ bass′

(beɪs)
n.
a short bass part repeated throughout a musical movement.
[1690–1700]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.ground bass - a short melody in the bass that is constantly repeated
bass part, bass - the lowest part in polyphonic music
ostinato - a musical phrase repeated over and over during a composition
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Mentioned in
References in periodicals archive
(Did Handel's continental musical traits owe something to Steffani?) Much of the music is dance-like, often rooted in ground bass, where the repeated bass line supplies the foundation for elaborations above.
Niobe, Regina Di Tebe: Steffani
Here, the pianist delivered Chopin as Satie, establishing a mesmerizing looping of ground bass, above which a jet stream runs across an expansive sky.
Helene Grimaud
It has harmonic clarity with ground bass and minor thirds never far away, and Mozartian humanity combining buffo humour with darker emotions.
Exquisite performance celebrates Norway's centenary
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.