Piano Songs with Octave Bass
2,110 songs — Octave bass — the left hand plays the same note one or two octaves apart, alternating or simultaneously — gives songs a powerful, anthemic feel. Common in rock ballads, pop power-songs, and dramatic accompaniment.
How octave bass works
Octave bass pattern: LH plays a root note + the same note an octave below or above, either alternating (boom-boom) or together (block octaves). Builds energy through register width without changing harmony.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
CHANGES
David Bowie
COME SEE ABOUT ME
The Supremes
CRAZY GIRL
Eli Young Band
Creep
Stone Temple Pilots
DON'T ASK THE LADY WHAT THE LADY DID BEFORE
Cy Coleman
DO YOU REMEMBER
Phil Collins
EVEN THE NIGHTS ARE BETTER
Air Supply
EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY TO LOVE
Wilson Pickett
FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK
The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
FALLEN
Sarah McLachlan
FANNY BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE
Bee Gees
FIND OUT WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE
Tracy Lawrence
FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN
Randy Travis
Have a Little Faith in Me
Joe Cocker
HE MADE A WAY IN A MANGER
Vicky Beeching
HOLLABACK GIRL
Gwen Stefani
Home Sweet Home
Motley Crue
HOW CAN I BE SURE
The Young Rascals
HUMAN ON THE INSIDE
The Pretenders
I Can See Clearly Now
Johnny Nash
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU
P!nk
INTERSTATE LOVE SONG
Stone Temple Pilots
I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER
Bacharach & David
I SHALL BE RELEASED
Bob Dylan
IT IS WELL
Jeremy and Adie Camp
I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Whitney Houston
LIFE OF THE PARTY
Shawn Mendes
LITTLE SAINT NICK
The Beach Boys
LOVE LIKE MINE
Hayden Panettiere
Love Yourself
Justin Bieber
MORE THAN A NAME ON A WALL
Dailey & Vincent
MOVIN' OUT
Billy Joel
MY HOUSE
Flo Rida
My Way
Frank Sinatra
NAGASAKI
Harry Warren
NANCY MULLIGAN
Ed Sheeran
NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE
Stevie Wonder
PERFECT
One Direction
PIECE BY PIECE
Kelly Clarkson
PLEASE MR. POSTMAN
The Beatles
POMPEII
Bastille
RED HOUSE
Jimi Hendrix
RIGHT NOW
Van Halen
ROCK & ROLL BAND
Boston
RUN OF THE MILL
George Harrison
SHATTERED
O.A.R.
SIMILAR FEATURES
Melissa Etheridge
Page 24 of 44 · 2,110 octave bass songs
Frequently asked questions
- What is octave bass in piano?
- Octave bass is a left-hand technique where you play the same note in two octaves — typically the chord root plus its lower octave. Creates a fuller, more powerful sound than a single bass note.
- Is octave bass hard to play?
- For intermediate players, no — most adult hands span an octave comfortably. Children or smaller hands may need to roll the octave (play the lower note slightly before the upper).
- Which songs use octave bass?
- Rock ballads like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and many Coldplay songs use octave bass extensively. Browse the list above for ~2,000 examples in our catalog.