Year 9 - Music
Understanding arpeggios and Alberti bass
Harmonic progressions and bass lines
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils extend their understanding of harmonic progressions, learning about ground bass and triadic harmony.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use triadic harmony to add arpeggios and an alberti bass to a ground bass pattern.
Key Notes
- Arpeggios and Alberti bass patterns are a variation on the triad chord.
- Arpeggios and Alberti bass patterns can be used to add interest to an existing chord sequence and ground bass.
- The Alberti bass has a distinctive, specific pattern.
- Playing arpeggios and an Alberti bass and added one or both to a ground bass pattern.
Vocabulary To Learn
- arpeggio: A group of notes from a chord played one after the other, either ascending or descending
- Alberti bass: A group of notes rom a chord played in a specific pattern of lowest note, highest note, middle note, highest note
- octave: an interval of eight notes, e.g. a C and the next C (higher or lower) are an octave apart
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- An Alberti bass is the notes of the triad played in any order.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Arpeggios and Alberti bass patterns are a variation on the triad chord. Arpeggios and Alberti bass patterns can be used to add interest to an existing chord sequence and ground bass.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'arpeggio'
A group of notes from a chord played one after the other, either ascending or descending.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: An Alberti bass is the notes of the triad played in any order. Correction: An Alberti bass has a specfic, distinctive pattern which uses the lowest note, highest note, middle note, highest note of the triad in that order.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 9 Music guide library.