What is an Alberti bass?

Answer 1

Hi! Alberti Bass is a left-hand keyboard accompaniment pattern popularized by Domenico Alberti from the Classical period, where the pattern goes low, high, mid, high. An example in F major would be F, C, A, C. I often just see it as root, 5th, 3rd, 5th.

This group of four notes is repeated in the left hand while a melody is played in the right hand. I hope that helps!

Eric

Answer 2

It is a chord that is broken or arpeggiated through a piece of music. For example, the bass would play C G E repeatedly throughout the music.

A piece of music that uses an Alberti bass is Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16, K545, in C Major. An arpeggiated C major chord is played.