The Alberti Bass Piano Arranging Technique

Good morning. This is Duane, and we’re involved in a series of arranging styles on the keyboard. We’ve taken up three of them so far, and today’s going to be the fourth. The first three had to do with chords, and a chording first is just strumming the chord, and then next we took up the swing bass where our left hand swung back and forth between a low note and a chord, whatever the chord is. Then we took up the alternating bass, which uses the 5th of the chord as the low note every other strike. One two, three four, one two, three four.

Now we’re going to take up the fourth kind of style in the left hand, and it’s known as the Alberti bass piano arranging technique or style. Some people call it the inside out technique, and that’s fine, too. What you do is whatever the chord is you take the bottom note and the top note and the middle note like that and you alternate them. Bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, memorize that. Bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top. Or you can hit the bottom just once and then just alternate between the 5th and the 3rd. Bottom top, middle top, middle top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, middle top, middle top, middle top.

Now this is a third note technique, so when you have a 7th chord, what do you do? Where do you leave out the 5th? One two three four five. You leave out the 5th and play one two, bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, like so. You leave out the 5th of the chord because obviously you don’t have time to play four different notes.

Lets take it on at several different chords. How about C minor? Bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top. See that? Lets take F7. bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top. F 7th is root, third, 5th, 7th. We leave out the 5th. Bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top. Usually after you play the Alberti bass, whatever it is, then you play a low note to end the sequence or end the phrase. Not always but usually it wraps it up a little better.

I’m going to play it now with a few chords in the right hand just so you can see a fuller style. That’s a major 7th chord. Bottom top, middle top, bottom top, middle top, middle top. You see they can be complex chords as well. You start out simply with a three note basic chord, but as you get more advanced you can start adding major 7th to the sequence or whatever.

That’s it for left hand style number four, called the Alberti bass. By the way, it was named after a composer named Alberti that used that style a great deal, but others after him used it a great deal, too, but it was named after him. Thanks for being with me, and if you enjoy these little piano tips, come on over to playpiano.com and sign up for our free piano tips. I know you will enjoy them because the knowledge accumulates over time and you get a wider variety of styles under your fingers. You build a toolbox of arranging techniques and that can only end in a good place. Thanks. Bye bye for now.

On YouTube: The Alberti Bass Piano Arranging Technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec5JoI-n-0w&feature=youtu.be

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