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

The piece is called “Fugitive Thoughts About the Alberti Bass,” drawn from a series that might best be described as a composer’s notebook, kept over a period of decades.

From Washington Post

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

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 Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Some of the phrases and figures, and the occasional employment of the Alberti bass, tell, however, of the new era soon about to be inaugurated by Haydn.

From Project Gutenberg