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.
Miracles (Someone Special)
Coldplay
Mistletoe
Justin Bieber
Modern Love
David Bowie
More Than This
One Direction
My Way
Frank Sinatra
Nice 'N' Easy
Frank Sinatra
Oh! You Pretty Things
David Bowie
Once Upon A Dream
Disney
One Love/People Get Ready
Bob Marley
Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Paloma Faith
Pizzicato Polka
Johann Strauss II
Pompeii
Bastille
Prelude No. 15 Op. 28 'Raindrop'
Frédéric Chopin
Purpose
Justin Bieber
Raiders March (from Raiders Of The Lost Ark)
John Williams
Rather Be
Clean Bandit
Red
Taylor Swift
Reflection
Christina Aguilera
Remedy
Adele
Roads
Portishead
Rockabye
Clean Bandit
Salut d'Amour
Edward Elgar
Sarabande in D Minor
George Frideric Handel
Saving All My Love For You
Whitney Houston
Shine My Shoes
Robbie Williams
Smoke On The Water
Deep Purple
Song For A Winter's Night
Gordon Lightfoot
Taken
One Direction
Teardrops On My Guitar
Taylor Swift
That's How You Know
Alan Menken
The Architect
Paloma Faith
The Bear
The Wiggles
The Blue Danube
Johann Strauss II
The Clock
Thom Yorke
The Fear
Lily Allen
The Godfather (Love Theme)
Nino Rota
Theme from Neighbours
Tony Hatch
The Ride Of The Valkyries
Richard Wagner
These Days
Rudimental
The Sick Doll
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Sound Of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel
The Tears Of A Clown
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
The World Is Not Enough
Garbage
They Don't Know About Us
One Direction
Three Coins In The Fountain
Jule Styne
Too Good
Drake
Touch The Sky
Julie Fowlis
Troublemaker
Olly Murs
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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.