Left-hand accompaniment patterns

A solo pianist is their own orchestra: the left hand plays bass, harmony and part of the rhythm. Mastering a few accompaniment patterns lets you improvise over any progression without a backing track, and switch style in an instant. Here are the five essentials, each notated over C – F – G – C or C – Am.

1. Block chords

The simplest: the whole chord, held. Ideal for getting started and for calm passages. Mind the voice leading: from C to F, keep the common C and move only the other fingers.

M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C clef=bass
"C" [C,E,G,]8 | "F" [C,F,A,]8 | "G" [B,,D,G,]8 | "C" [C,E,G,]8 |]

2. Broken chords (root – fifth – octave)

The chord notes played one at a time. The 1-5-8-5 shape gives a solid foundation and plenty of movement.

M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C clef=bass
"C" C,G,CG, C,G,CG, | "F" F,,C,F,C, F,,C,F,C, |]

3. Alberti bass

Low – high – middle – high: the engine of a thousand classical sonatas (Mozart, Haydn, Clementi). Keep it light, the wrist supple, the thumb discreet.

M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C clef=bass
"C" C,G,E,G, C,G,E,G, | "G" B,,G,D,G, B,,G,D,G, | "C" C,G,E,G, C,G,E,G, |]

4. The ballad arpeggio (1-5-8-10)

Root, fifth, octave, tenth: the broad sound of pop piano (Elton John, film music). It needs an open hand; with the pedal changed on each chord, the piano sings.

M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C clef=bass
"C" C,,G,,C,E, G,E,C,G,, | "Am" A,,E,A,C ECA,E, |]

5. Stride (basics)

Low bass on beats 1 and 3, mid-range chord on 2 and 4: the "oom-pah" of ragtime and 1920s jazz. It's a leap; look at the destination before you go.

M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C clef=bass
"C" C,, [E,G,C] G,, [E,G,C] | "F" F,, [F,A,C] C, [F,A,C] |]

Step-by-step exercise

1. Pick a pattern. Play it left hand alone over the pop backing in C (C – G – Am – F), with the loop volume turned down.
2. Once it runs on its own (without looking), add a right-hand melody: one note per bar first, then the motif from the previous lessons.
3. Change pattern each round: block → broken → Alberti → ballad. Notice how the emotion changes.
4. Stop the loop and play alone: you are now your own accompanist.
5. Bonus: try stride over the boogie backing in C.