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.
GRACE KELLY
Mika
HEALING BEGINS
Tenth Avenue North
HONKY TONK BADONKADONK
Trace Adkins
HOW DO I LIVE
Trisha Yearwood
I HAD MYSELF A TRUE LOVE
Audra McDonald
I KNEW I LOVED YOU
Savage Garden
I NEED A LOVER
John Mellencamp
IT'S NOT OVER
Daughtry
I WAS WRONG
Chris Stapleton
LA LUNA CHE NON C'È
Andrea Bocelli
Let It Go
James Bay
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER
Bon Jovi
LOOK AT US
Vince Gill
LOVE SHACK
The B-52's
Machine Gun
Sara Bareilles
MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY
Melissa Etheridge
MUSICOLOGY
Prince
NEW YORK'S BEST KEPT SECRET
Ashley Tisdale
NOTHINGMAN
Pearl Jam
NOT WHILE I'M AROUND
Jamie Cullum
NOW AND FOREVER
Randy Goodrum
ONE TOUCH
Nicole C. Mullen
PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT
Sting
RIVERS OF BABYLON
The Melodians
ROCKET LOVE
Stevie Wonder
SAIL ON
The Commodores
SAVE ME, SAN FRANCISCO
Train
SHE'S NO YOU
Jesse McCartney
SHE'S SO HIGH
Tal Bachman
SI TÚ ME AMAS
Il Divo
TEAR IN MY HEART
Twenty One Pilots
THE MOTIONS
Matthew West
THE POWER OF LOVE
Huey Lewis & The News
THE REAL ME
Natalie Grant
THIS IS YOUR LIFE
Switchfoot
TINY DANCER
Elton John
TONIGHT
John Legend
UNA NOCHE
Il Divo
WAKE ME UP!
Avicii
WAKE UP AMERICA
Miley Cyrus
WE BELIEVE
Newsboys
WELCOME
Christina Aguilera
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME
Nick Lachey
Wild Love
James Bay
21 GUNS
Green Day
ALL ABOUT LOVIN' YOU
Bon Jovi
ANGEL DOWN
Lady Gaga
ANY LOVE
Luther Vandross
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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.