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.
Real Love
Clean Bandit
Remember Me
Disney/Pixar
Roar
Katy Perry
Rock Me
One Direction
Rondo (from Horn Concerto No. 4, K495)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rude
MAGIC!
Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
Adele
She's Electric
Oasis
Shout
Tears for Fears
Shut Up And Drive
Rihanna
Slipping Through My Fingers
ABBA
Something Great
One Direction
Somewhere Only We Know
Keane
Somewhere Only We Know
Keane
Sound And Vision
David Bowie
Stayin' Alive
Bee Gees
Steal My Girl
One Direction
Superheroes
The Script
Take Me Home
One Direction
Test Drive (from "How To Train Your Dragon")
John Powell
The Closest Thing To Crazy
Katie Melua
The Holiday (Main Theme)
Hans Zimmer
The Long And Winding Road
The Beatles
Theme from The Simpsons
Danny Elfman
The River Kwai March
Malcolm Arnold
Thinking Of Me
Olly Murs
This Is It
Michael Jackson
Too Much Love Will Kill You
Queen
Toreador's Song (from 'Carmen')
Georges Bizet
Trio (from Piano Sonata, Op.26)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Under The Sea
Alan Menken
Violet Hill
Coldplay
Wake Me Up
Avicii
Waterloo
ABBA
We Don't Talk Anymore
Charlie Puth
We Will Rock You
Queen
What Do You Mean?
Justin Bieber
Where Are We Now?
David Bowie
White Christmas
Irving Berlin
Winter (from 'The Four Seasons') 2nd Movement
Antonio Vivaldi
Wrapped Up
Olly Murs
You Got It
Roy Orbison
You Only Live Twice
Nancy Sinatra
You Raise Me Up
Josh Groban
You've Got A Friend In Me
Randy Newman
You Want Me
Luke James
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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.