Alberti bass

Alberti bass is a particular kind of accompaniment in music, often used in the classical music era. It was named after Domenico Alberti (1710-1740), who used it extensively, although he was not the first to use it.

Related Topics:
Accompaniment - Music - Classical music era - Domenico Alberti

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Alberti bass is a kind of broken chord or arpeggiated accompaniment, where the notes of the chord are presented in the order lowest, highest, middle, highest. This pattern is then repeated. A well known example is found at the beginning of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata, K 545:

Related Topics:
Broken chord - Arpeggiated - Chord - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Sonata, K 545

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Alberti bass is usually found in the left hand of pieces for keyboard instruments. However, it is sometimes found in pieces for other instruments, Béla Bartók using it towards the end of his String Quartet No. 5, for example.

Related Topics:
Keyboard instrument - Béla Bartók - String Quartet No. 5

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