Left-hand pattern · Old-time stride
Boom-chick
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Boom-chick goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Stride & boom-chick: A deep bass note, then a chord. The left hand jumps.
Songs with Boom-chick
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Boom-chick, from verse to chorus.
More bounce & stride
All patternsQuestions about Boom-chick
What is Boom-chick on piano?
Bass, chord, bass, chord: the bounce of ragtime and country. Musicians call it boom-chick, one of the stride & boom-chick patterns: a deep bass note, then a chord. the left hand jumps.
How do I play boom-chick with the left hand?
Over C major it is C4 (3), then E4 (2) + G4 (1), then G3 (5), then E4 (2) + G4 (1); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use Boom-chick?
It is heard in 762 songs of the library, as the main groove of 352 songs, such as Someone To Watch Over Me (from Oh, Kay!), Sleigh Ride, My Funny Valentine, A Spoonful Of Sugar.
Is Boom-chick easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.