Left-hand pattern · Pop heartbeat
Hiccup heartbeat
A tiny hiccup just before beat 3, then a push on the “and”. Musicians call it root bass on beats 1, 2, 2a, 3&, 4.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Hiccup heartbeat 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.
Root bass rhythm: Just the lowest note, played in a rhythm you can dance to.
Songs with Hiccup heartbeat
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Hiccup heartbeat, from verse to chorus.
More heartbeats
All patternsQuestions about Hiccup heartbeat
What is Hiccup heartbeat on piano?
A tiny hiccup just before beat 3, then a push on the “and”. Musicians call it root bass on beats 1, 2, 2a, 3&, 4, one of the root bass rhythm patterns: just the lowest note, played in a rhythm you can dance to.
How do I play root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3& · 4 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then C4 (1), then C3 (5), then C3 (5), then C4 (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 Hiccup heartbeat?
It is heard in 121 songs of the library, as the main groove of 69 songs, such as Sing, Back To You, Great Is The Lord, Downtown.
Is Hiccup heartbeat easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 90 beats a minute.