Alberti bass

A left-hand accompaniment pattern common in Classical piano music, alternating between the bass note, the top note, and the middle note of a chord in a steady rhythmic pattern.

Should remain firmly in the background — the accompaniment supports, never competes with, the melody. A common mistake is playing the bass note of each pattern too loudly, creating an unwanted accent pattern. See Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven sonatas.