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.
LET'S GO FLY A KITE
Sherman Brothers
Sunny
Bobby Hebb
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD
Prince
TURN AROUND
Dick & DeeDee
YOU ARE MY DESTINY
Paul Anka
A TEENAGER IN LOVE
Dion & The Belmonts
CATHY'S CLOWN
Everly Brothers
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Canned Heat
NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO
Chuck Berry
SIMPLE SONG OF FREEDOM
Bobby Darin
There But For Fortune
Phil Ochs
BE MY BABY
Ronettes
CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART
Keith Green
HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN
Eurythmics
HEY, GOOD LOOKIN'
Hank Williams
IF I NEEDED YOU
Townes Van Zandt
I WANT IT ALL
High School Musical 3 Cast
MARDI GRAS MAMBO
The Hawketts
THE WANDERER
Dion
WE SHALL OVERCOME
Joan Baez
A LITTLE BIT ME, A LITTLE BIT YOU
The Monkees
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
Grateful Dead
SALLY'S SONG
Danny Elfman
IT'S A HEARTACHE
Bonnie Tyler
NO TIME
The Guess Who
BIND US TOGETHER
Bob Gillman
GLORY
Casting Crowns
I COULD NEVER SAY GOODBYE
Enya
IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER
Ernst Neubach
THE STREETS OF LAREDO
American Cowboy Song
24K Magic
Bruno Mars
5 Years Time
Noah and the Whale
A Heart Full Of Love(from Les Misérables)
All About That Bass
Meghan Trainor
Allegretto Ma Non Troppo (4th Movement from String Quartet No.15 In D Minor, K421)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Another Suitcase In Another Hall (from 'Evita')
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Ask Me To Stay
Amber Run
As Time Goes By
Herman Hupfeld
A Thousand Years
Christina Perri
Baby Elephant Walk (from 'Hatari!')
Henry Mancini
Beds Are Burning
Midnight Oil
Best Song Ever
One Direction
Best Thing I Never Had
Beyoncé
Blame It On The Boogie
The Jacksons
Born Free
John Barry
Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison
Build Me Up Buttercup
The Foundations
Candy
Robbie Williams
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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.