Alberti bass is a simple and commonplace accompaniment to a melody that consists of a series of broken chords, such as the one shown here. It takes its name from the Italian composer Domenico Alberti (about 1710–1740) who favored it. On a piano, an Albert bass is played with the left hand and serves to outline harmonies while the melody is played with the right hand. The broken chord is played in the order: low - high - middle - high.