continuando

Continuando is a musical directive of Italian origin meaning “continuing” or “to go on.” In musical scores, it indicates that a performer should keep the preceding action or texture going, typically sustaining the current accompaniment or harmonic support without interruption. The term is primarily associated with the practice of basso continuo, where it signals the continuo players to maintain the ongoing bass line and harmonic realization after a transition or pause.

In performance, continuando can appear after a rest, a fermata, or a change in tempo or texture, urging musicians to preserve the continuity of sound and gesture. It may apply to the continuo group as a whole or to a specific part within an ensemble, depending on the source and the desired texture.

Relationship to continuo practice is central: continuando reflects the broader idea of a continuous harmonic foundation that underpins Baroque music. It complements other Italian directives that guide texture, rhythm, and phrasing in early music scores, and is often encountered in keyboard, lute, or other continuo realizations.

Modern usage and editions vary. Some contemporary editors retain “continuando” to preserve historical semantics, while others translate or simplify the instruction to “continue” or to explicitly indicate the continued participation of the continuo. As a historical term, it provides insight into performance practice of Baroque and early Classical repertoire.