Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. One of the stride and oom-pah patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. You need C (little finger, 5), E (middle finger, 3) and G (thumb, 1).
Count and play
Count 1, 2, 3, 4. Play C on 1, then E and G together on 2, 3 and 4.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: G, B and D. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Oom-pah on piano?
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. A bass note, then a chord. It is stride when the leap spans an octave or more. Musicians call it bass + chords.
Is Oom-pah hard to play?
It is a beginner pattern. Play it with your left hand alone at 60% speed until it feels steady, then add the other hand.
Which songs use Oom-pah?
Purple Rain by Prince, Count On Me by Bruno Mars and Ho Hey by The Lumineers use Oom-pah. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.