Baroque music (about 1600 to 1750)

The Baroque period gave us the harpsichord, the concerto and some of the most famous composers ever: Bach, Handel and Vivaldi.

Practise this lesson free (6 questions)

Dates and composers

The Baroque period lasted roughly from 1600 to 1750 (the year Bach died).
Key composers:
ComposerDatesKnown for
Johann Sebastian Bach1685 to 1750Brandenburg Concertos, keyboard music, fugues
George Frideric Handel1685 to 1759Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, operas; worked in London
Antonio Vivaldi1678 to 1741The Four Seasons (four violin concertos)
Henry Purcell1659 to 1695English composer of opera and songs

Features

Harpsichord: a keyboard instrument whose strings are plucked, so it cannot play gradually louder or softer.
Basso continuo: a bass line played throughout, usually by a cello and harpsichord, filling in the harmony.
Terraced dynamics: sudden changes between loud and soft rather than gradual crescendos.
Ornaments: decorations such as trills (fast alternation of two notes).
Polyphonic (contrapuntal) textures, where several melodies weave together, as in a fugue.
A ground bass is a repeating bass line with music changing above it.

Forms

A concerto is a piece for soloist(s) and orchestra. In a concerto grosso, a small group of soloists contrasts with the full orchestra.
Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is programme music: each concerto describes a season, with birdsong, storms and shivering in winter.
The orchestra was mainly strings with continuo, sometimes with oboes, bassoons, trumpets and timpani.
Worked example

A piece has a harpsichord, sudden switches between loud and soft, and lots of trills. Which period is it likely to be from, and why?

  1. Harpsichord and basso continuo are typical Baroque features.
  2. Sudden loud and soft changes are terraced dynamics, also Baroque.
  3. Trills are ornaments, common in Baroque music.

Answer: Baroque (about 1600 to 1750): harpsichord, terraced dynamics and ornaments are all Baroque features.

Key idea

Baroque: about 1600 to 1750. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Purcell. Features: harpsichord, basso continuo, terraced dynamics, ornaments, polyphonic texture, ground bass, concerto grosso. The Four Seasons is programme music.

Key words
Concerto
A piece for a soloist (or soloists) and orchestra.
Basso continuo
In Baroque music, a bass line and harmony played throughout, usually by a cello and a harpsichord.
Dynamics
How loud or quiet music is.
Polyphonic
A texture of two or more independent melodies at the same time. Also called contrapuntal.
Texture
How many layers of sound there are and how they fit together.
Programme music
Music that tells a story or paints a picture.

All KS3 Music key terms and definitions →

Common mistakes
Quick check

Try two quick questions

See if it has sunk in. Answers are marked straight away.

Extra practice

2 more questions

Try each one, then tap to check.

  1. Which composer belongs to the Baroque period?

    1. Mozart
    2. Chopin
    3. Debussy
    4. Bach
    Show the answer

    Answer: Bach

    J. S. Bach lived from 1685 to 1750.

  2. How is the sound made on a harpsichord?

    1. Strings are hit by hammers
    2. Air is blown through pipes
    3. The strings are bowed
    4. Strings are plucked by a mechanism
    Show the answer

    Answer: Strings are plucked by a mechanism

    Plucking gives the same volume however hard you press.

Check you have got it

Answer 6 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.

Practise this lesson free (6 questions)All KS3 Music lessons

Video for this lesson coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube

Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.