Murky bass
18th-century keyboard style with continuous broken octaves in the bass as an accompaniment figure.
What it means
Murky (also murky bass) denotes an accompaniment figure in the keyboard music of the 18th century in which the left hand plays continuous broken octaves: instead of striking both notes together they are played alternately, usually in quavers. The figure creates an even, forward-driving sound.
Musical use
The murky was a widespread accompaniment pattern in keyboard sonatas and pieces of the galant and early classical periods. It made it possible to produce a full, supporting bass with the left hand without grasping chords. The origin of the name is uncertain.
The murky should be distinguished from the Alberti bass, in which a broken triad rises and falls, and from the octave tremolo, in which the octave is repeated faster.
Performance practice
Play the murky evenly and lightly from the wrist and keep the upper voice clearly in the foreground. Take care that the quavers do not press; the accompaniment should support, not dominate.