Piano Songs with Alberti Bass
297 songs — Alberti bass — a classical technique where the left hand plays broken chord patterns (low-high-middle-high) — defines much of Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven. Elegant, flowing accompaniment that supports melody without competing.
How alberti bass works
Alberti bass pattern: LH plays a broken chord in the order: lowest note, highest note, middle note, highest note (e.g., for C major: C-G-E-G repeated). Creates a continuous flow of background harmony.
ROCK OF AGES
David Crowder
SCARBOROUGH FAIR
Traditional English Ballad
Eight Days A Week
The Beatles
GOOD LUCK CHARM
Elvis Presley
Silent Night
Harry Belafonte
THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
Lead Belly
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?
The Kingston Trio
BLUE VELVET
Bobby Vinton
FOR YOUR LOVE
Ed Townsend
INNAMORATA
Harry Warren
NEVER MY LOVE
The Association
STORMY
Buddy Buie
A STRING OF PEARLS
Eddie DeLange
JESUS, ETC.
Wilco
HANKY PANKY
Tommy James & The Shondells
LONELY DAYS
Bee Gees
ABOUT A GIRL
Nirvana
EVERYDAY
Buddy Holly
BORN ON THE BAYOU
Creedence Clearwater Revival
MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY
Eddy Arnold
CARRY THAT WEIGHT
The Beatles
EIGHT MILES HIGH
The Byrds
SHARP DRESSED MAN
ZZ Top
THE TWIST
Chubby Checker
TRY ME
James Brown
MEAN WOMAN BLUES
Elvis Presley
Behind Blue Eyes
The Who
Bloodstream
Ed Sheeran
Bring Him Home
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Bring Me Sunshine
Arthur Askey
Broken Brights
Angus & Julia Stone
California King Bed
Rihanna
Charlemagne
Blossoms
Come Fly With Me
Frank Sinatra
Don't Be So Hard On Yourself
Jess Glynne
Ecossaise for Military Band
Ludwig van Beethoven
Empty Chairs At Empty Tables
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Hey, Soul Sister
Train
I Have A Dream
ABBA
Imagine
John Lennon
Into The West
Annie Lennox
I See The Light
Alan Menken
Lady Marmalade
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & P!nk
Little Things
One Direction
Memory
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Minnie The Moocher
Cab Calloway
Moments
One Direction
Moonlight Sonata
Ludwig van Beethoven
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Frequently asked questions
- What is Alberti bass?
- Named after composer Domenico Alberti (1710-1740), Alberti bass is a classical left-hand pattern where you play broken chord notes in the order: lowest, highest, middle, highest. Heard throughout Mozart and early Beethoven sonatas.
- Is Alberti bass hard to play?
- Moderate difficulty — the pattern itself is mechanical, but maintaining steady tempo + even dynamics in the LH while playing expressive RH melody requires practice. Classic intermediate-level technique.
- What pieces use Alberti bass?
- Mozart's "Sonata in C Major" K. 545 (a.k.a. "Sonata Facile") is the textbook example. Many Haydn sonatas and Beethoven early works use it. Browse this collection for piano-friendly arrangements.