ENTRY 8

Figured Bass and Lead-Sheet Symbols

* Triads can be arranged in three positions and these are called root position, first inversion and second inversion. These inversions can be identified in figured bass and lead-sheet with the use of various symbols.

* Having a triad in root position, the root note is in the bass, for example, the C major triad, in root position the C would be the bass note with E and G above it. This is made up of a major third and a perfect fifth from the bass note. The symbol used in this inversion for figured bass is 5/3 and the lead-sheet, a capital C.  

* The first inversion would have the third degree of the triad in the bass, for example, using C major E would be in the bass with G and C  above it. This is made up with a minor third and a minor sixth from the bass note. In this inversion, the figured bass used 6 or 6/3 and the lead-sheet used C/E.

* In the second inversion, the fifth degree of the triad is in the bass with the first and third-degree above it. This is made up of a perfect fourth and a major sixth from the bass note. In this inversion, figured bass uses 6/4 while C/G for lead-sheet.

* Lead-sheet music also uses other symbols to identify triads, for example, the C triad in root position the augmented triad can use either C+ or Caug, the C minor triad use C- or Cm and the C diminished triad is C⁰ or Cdim. Also the C triad in the first inversion, C augmented is either C+/E or Caug/E, while the C minor triad is C-/E♭ or Cm/E♭ and the C diminished is C⁰/E♭ or Cdim/E♭. Furthermore, in the second inversion, the C augmented uses C+/G♯ or Caug/G♯, while the C minor is C-/G or Cm/G and the C diminished is C⁰/G♭ or Cdim/G♭. 

These are examples of the lead-sheet symbols using the C major triad. Starting left, the first triad is in root position, followed by the first and second inversion. 

These are examples of the minor triad lead-sheet symbols.

These are the augmented triad lead-sheet symbols.

These are lead-sheet examples of diminished triads.

 
   

 These are the figured bass symbols, starting from left the first symbol is in root position, sometimes nothing is used for this position. Next, the first inversion and it is followed by the second inversion. 

This is an example of how figured bass are arranged throughout a melody.

This is a performance of the triads using the B♭ major scale and the G minor scale.

This video explains figured bass 

This video is on triads

This video also explains triad.