Super Simple Piano
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Ragtime bounce

Quick bass-chord-bass-chord: the bouncy left hand of ragtime. One of the stride and oom-pah patterns.

Chords: C, G, Am, F
Practice in C

How to play it

  1. Find the notes

    Put your left hand over a C chord. You need low G (little finger, 5), C (middle finger, 3), E (index finger, 2) and high G (thumb, 1).

  2. Count and play

    Count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1, then E and high G together on 1&, then low G on 2, then E and high G together on 2&, then C on 3, then E and high G together on 3&, then low G on 4, then E and high G together on 4&.

  3. Move it with the chords

    When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: low D, G, B and high D. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.

Songs that use it

Questions

What is Ragtime bounce on piano?

Quick bass-chord-bass-chord: the bouncy left hand of ragtime. A bass note, then a chord. It is stride when the leap spans an octave or more. Musicians call it boom-chick (2/4).

Is Ragtime bounce hard to play?

It is an intermediate pattern. Learn it with your left hand alone at 60% speed first, then play it over a chord loop.

Which songs use Ragtime bounce?

The Devil Went Down To Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band uses Ragtime bounce. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.