Piano Songs with Oom-pah Bass Pattern
1,981 songs — Oom-pah — the left hand alternates between a low bass note (oom) and a higher chord (pah) — is the classic accompaniment of ragtime, polka, marches, and stride piano. Instantly recognizable, fun to play.
How oom-pah bass works
Oom-pah pattern: LH alternates between a single low note on beats 1 & 3 (the "oom"), and a chord on beats 2 & 4 (the "pah"). Creates a rhythmic, bouncy feel typical of march and ragtime music.
MORE TO LIFE
Stacie Orrico
SAVE ME FROM MYSELF
Christina Aguilera
St. Patrick's Day
John Mayer
THE DANCE
Garth Brooks
TONIGHT TONIGHT
Hot Chelle Rae
YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME
Alicia Keys
All About the Green
Matthew Sklar
BED
J. Holiday
BOOGIE NIGHTS
Heatwave
Broken-Hearted Girl
Beyoncé
BUTTERFLY
Mariah Carey
COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN
Wendy Moten
EMOTION
Bee Gees
FALL
Justin Bieber
Good People
Jack Johnson
HERE I AM, COME AND TAKE ME
Al Green
HOMESICK
Kane Brown
JOY INSIDE MY TEARS
Stevie Wonder
LET ME LOVE YOU
Ne-Yo
L.O.V.E.
Ashlee Simpson
LOVE SOMEONE
Jason Mraz
MICHAEL IN THE BATHROOM
Joe Iconis
MY INTERPRETATION
Mika
ORDINARY MIRACLES
Barbra Streisand
Perfectly Lonely
John Mayer
Somebody
Bonnie McKee
Times Like These
Jack Johnson
WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME
Chicago
YOUTH
Shawn Mendes feat. Khalid
CANDLES
Glee Cast
EET
Regina Spektor
EMOTIONS
Mariah Carey
I CALL IT LOVE
Lionel Richie
LEARNING TO BE SILENT
Dean Pitchford
Life Is Wonderful
Jason Mraz
LIPS ARE MOVIN
Meghan Trainor
My Stupid Mouth
John Mayer
Neon
John Mayer
ONE WISH
Ray J
ORIGIN OF LOVE
Mika
PET SOUNDS
The Beach Boys
PLAY THAT SONG
Train
SUDDENLY I SEE
KT Tunstall
TAKE YOU OUT
Luther Vandross
TAKING CHANCES
Celine Dion
THAT'S CHRISTMAS TO ME
Pentatonix
The Woman I Love
Jason Mraz
THIS IS HALLOWEEN
Danny Elfman
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Frequently asked questions
- What is oom-pah bass on piano?
- Oom-pah is a two-beat left-hand pattern: a low bass note on the strong beat, then a chord on the weak beat. Sounds like "oom-pah, oom-pah" — hence the name. Most associated with polka, ragtime, and traditional pieces.
- Is oom-pah hard to learn?
- It's one of the simpler bass patterns — once you can hit the bass note then the chord cleanly, it's mostly about steady rhythm. Great practice for hand independence.
- What genres use oom-pah bass?
- Polka, ragtime, classical waltzes (in 3/4 oom-pah-pah), marches, and many children's songs. Browse the list for examples across genres.