Alberti bass
A broken-chord accompaniment pattern in which the notes of a chord are played in the order lowest-highest-middle-highest
In Depth
Alberti himself was a minor composer whose music is almost entirely forgotten — his lasting fame rests entirely on this accompaniment pattern that bears his name.
Related Terms
More in Techniques
Browse allSinging without instrumental accompaniment, with voices providing all musical parts.
The musical background that supports a solo melody or voice.
At the performer's discretion — an instruction allowing freedom in tempo, ornamentation, or inclusion.
An accent created by slightly lengthening a note rather than playing it louder, using duration rather than volume to create emphasis.
The ubiquitous left-hand keyboard accompaniment pattern of low-high-middle-high notes, named after Domenico Alberti, that defines the texture of Classical-era piano music.
A guitar picking technique that strictly alternates between downstrokes and upstrokes.
A direction to resume playing with the bow after a pizzicato passage on a string instrument
An adaptation of a musical composition for different instruments or voices than originally intended.