Friedrich Erhard Niedt

Friedrich Erhard Niedt (31 May 1674 – 1717) was a German jurist, music theorist, and composer. Niedt was born in Jena, and enrolled at the University of Jena in 1694, where he is thought to have studied law. Around 1700, he moved to Copenhagen, staying in Hamburg along the way. He died in Copenhagen. The first part of his Musical Guide might be a record of musical techniques similar to what Johann Sebastian Bach used. Works in music theory The Musical Guide, 1700-1710 Niedt’s Musical Guide consists of three parts, each of which are concerned with figured bass. In the first part, Niedt discusses the basics of figured bass, and gives the following definition: Niedt’s suggestion that figured bass is “the most complete foundation of music” might be misinterpreted if it is read out of context, for later in this same quote, he clarifies that by “complete” he simply means that the keyboard can play many notes at once, whereas other instruments are limited to one note at a time. The second part of the Musical Guide describes how variation may be introduced in figured bass. Many examples are presented that demonstrate how simple musical materials may be made more complex. Niedt justifies de