Alberti Bass on Piano
Alberti bass plays a chord in the order low, high, middle, high, over and over: C, G, E, G for a C chord. It is the murmuring left hand of the Classical era, of Mozart and Haydn, and it still turns up in pop ballads. Start slowly with fingers 5, 1, 3, 1 and keep every note even.
Start with Mozart murmur, the one most songs use.
Patterns
Songs that use Alberti bass
- Nine To FiveDolly Parton
- My WayFrank Sinatra
- LandslideFleetwood Mac
- FadedAlan Walker
- LoveJohn Lennon
- LadyStyx
- Love Is Like A ButterflyDolly Parton
- Sally's SongDanny Elfman
- Jesus, Etc.Wilco
- In The Bedroom Down The HallPasek & Paul
- By Your SideTenth Avenue North
- First Day Of My LifeBright Eyes
- Walking In The AirHoward Blake
- Thank YouLed Zeppelin
- Mr. Tambourine ManBob Dylan
- I'll Play The Blues For YouAlbert King
- Into The WestAnnie Lennox
- Sunny AfternoonThe Kinks
- I've Got A Crush On YouGeorge Gershwin
- I Don't Wanna Love Somebody ElseA Great Big World
Questions
What is Alberti bass?
A broken-chord pattern for the left hand: the lowest note, the highest, the middle, then the highest again. It is named after Domenico Alberti, an Italian composer of the 1700s.
What fingers do you use for Alberti bass?
For C, E and G: little finger (5) on C, thumb (1) on G, middle finger (3) on E, then the thumb again on G. The hand stays in one place over each chord.
Which songs use Alberti bass?
Nine To Five by Dolly Parton, My Way by Frank Sinatra and Landslide by Fleetwood Mac use Alberti bass. The songs on this page all use it, the most played first.