Alberti Bass
Popularized by Italian composer Domenico Alberti (1710–1740), this left hand accompaniment pattern is one of the most recognizable sounds in all of music. Used extensively by the great composers, it gives a classical music feel to any music that you apply it to. It is very similar to the chord bass technique, but instead of playing all three notes of the chord simultaneously, you play one at a time in a specific pattern: bottom note, top note, middle note, top note (played repeatedly). This famous accompaniment is almost as easy as the chord bass, but is more interesting and fun to play. The same rules for chord bass apply: Keep fingers curved, bring out the melody louder than the Alberti bass accompaniment, and be sure to play the Alberti bass notes very evenly with a steady tempo.
FIGURE 14-2: Alberti bass
Today the works of Domenico Alberti are nearly forgotten, but the accompaniment pattern that he used so extensively has enabled him to become a household word in musical circles. Although he probably did not invent the famous pattern, he made it so popular that Mozart, Beethoven, and many other classical composers used it in many of their compositions.
