basso

Basso is a term of Italian origin with several related uses in language and music. In Italian, basso means low or shallow, and it functions as both an adjective describing low pitch, height, or status, and as a noun referring to the bass range or the bass voice in singing.

In music, basso primarily designates the bass voice part, the lowest male voice in choral and operatic writing. It is used in Italianate musical terminology in scores and stage directions. Within this vocal category, there are stylistic subtypes such as basso profundo (very deep bass, capable of extreme low notes), basso cantante (lyrical bass with a singing, expressive quality), and basso buffo (comic bass often found in opera buffa). The term also appears in the concept of basso continuo, or figures bass, which refers to the continuous bass line that underpinned much of Baroque accompaniment. This bass line is typically realized at the keyboard or with a bass instrument, guided by figured bass notation.

Beyond music, basso is a surname of Italian origin. It can appear as part of place names or family names in Italian-speaking regions and in communities with Italian heritage. In English-language contexts, bass is the more common term for the low-frequency range, but basso remains used in historical and scholarly discussions of Italian vocal practice and Baroque accompaniment.