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.
WHEN I COME AROUND
Green Day
WHEN THE CHILDREN CRY
White Lion
WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
The Shirelles
WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING
The Fifth Dimension
AFRICA UNITE
Bob Marley
BIM-BOM
Joao Gilberto
BLUE EYES
Mika
BUONA SERA
Louis Prima
BUSTED
Johnny Cash
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
Steve Miller Band
FOR ALL WE KNOW
Carpenters
GET BACK
The Beatles
GIVE LOVE ON CHRISTMAS DAY
Johnny Gill
HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELING AGAIN
The Fortunes
HOW LONG, HOW LONG BLUES
Leroy Carr
I CAN'T HELP MYSELF
The Four Tops
IF WE ONLY HAVE LOVE
Jacques Brel
JUDY'S TURN TO CRY
Lesley Gore
LITTLE TALKS
Of Monsters And Men
LODI
Creedence Clearwater Revival
MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK
Bobby Comstock
O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL
Rebecca St. James
PALACE
Sam Smith
PARA LOS RUMBEROS
Tito Puente
ROAD RUNNER
Junior Walker & the All Stars
SILENT NIGHT
Elvis Presley
SOMEDAY
The Mills Brothers
SUSPIRIUM
Thom Yorke
TEARS ON MY PILLOW
Little Anthony & The Imperials
TEDDY BEAR
Elvis Presley
THE OLD LAMPLIGHTER
The Browns
THE WAYWARD WIND
Patsy Cline
UNDONE - THE SWEATER SONG
Weezer
WALKIN' BACK TO GEORGIA
Jim Croce
WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND
Andrew Lloyd Webber
AFTER THE GOLD RUSH
Neil Young
A PIRATE'S LIFE
Oliver Wallace & Ed Penner
As Tears Go By
The Rolling Stones
A WHITE SPORT COAT
Marty Robbins
BECAUSE THE NIGHT
Patti Smith
BLUE CHRISTMAS
Melissa Etheridge
COME AS YOU ARE
Nirvana
DREAM BABY
Glen Campbell
EVERYBODY'S TALKIN'
Harry Nilsson
FULL MOON
The Black Ghosts
GET READY
Rare Earth
GROW OLD WITH ME
Mary Chapin Carpenter
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SIXTEEN
Neil Sedaka
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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.