Alberti bass

American  

[al-bur-tee beys, ahl-ber-] / ælˈbɜr ti ˈbeɪs, ɑlˈbɛr- /

noun

Music.

1. a reiterated broken-chord figure used as an accompaniment, especially in 18th-century rococo keyboard music.

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Etymology

Origin of Alberti bass

1875–80; named after Domenico Alberti (circa 1710–40), Italian musician

Example Sentences

Mr. Prutsman’s music cleverly combines evocations of five-finger exercises and Alberti bass figures with hazy harmonies, hints of mellow jazz, a two-step stride and a nod to Debussy.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2010

The music, which may be described as a study in the Alberti bass, is decidedly more correct in form than the French of the title-page.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)

The so-called "Alberti" bass should be played in such a manner as to minimize the motion of the sixteenths, and to intensify the chord feeling.

From The Masters and their Music A series of illustrative programs with biographical, esthetical, and critical annotations by Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock)

To view the Lilypond source file, click here.   foreshadow, in a curious manner, the Alberti bass.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)

The introduction of the Alberti bass is one clear sign of a post-Scarlatti period.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)