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.
Canon in D
Johann Pachelbel
Cantaloupe Island
Herbie Hancock
Can You Feel It
The Jacksons
Change Your Life
Little Mix
Circle Of Life (from Walt Disney's The Lion King)
Elton John
Dancing On My Own
Robyn
Downtown
Petula Clark
Dream Catch Me
Newton Faulkner
En Bateau
Claude Debussy
Everything At Once
Lenka
Eyes Open
Taylor Swift
Fairytale Of New York
The Pogues
Feels
Calvin Harris
Fernando
ABBA
Fireproof
One Direction
Fix You
Coldplay
Flashlight
Jessie J
Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Iron & Wine
Flower Duet
Léo Delibes
For Your Eyes Only
Sheena Easton
Für Elise
Ludwig van Beethoven
German Dance ('The Sleigh Ride')
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Give Me Love
Ed Sheeran
Half The World Away
Oasis
Head Over Heels
Tears for Fears
Hero
Enrique Iglesias
Hips Don't Lie
Shakira
History
One Direction
How Deep Is Your Love?
Bee Gees
I Can See Clearly Now
Jimmy Cliff
IDGAF
Dua Lipa
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
ABBA
I Got You (I Feel Good)
James Brown
I Knew You Were Trouble
Taylor Swift
It Must Be Love
Madness
It's My Birthday Today
The Wiggles
(I've Had) The Time Of My Life
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
I Want To Break Free
Queen
I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
Nina Simone
Jupiter (from The Planets Op. 32)
Gustav Holst
La Bamba
Ritchie Valens
Last First Kiss
One Direction
Little Jesus (Rocking Carol)
Traditional
Mama
Spice Girls
Master Of The House (from Les Misérables)
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Minuet in G
Johann Sebastian Bach
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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.