Left-hand pattern · Old-time stride
Oom-pah
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Oom-pah 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 Oom-pah
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Oom-pah, from verse to chorus.
More bounce & stride
All patternsQuestions about Oom-pah
What is Oom-pah on piano?
A bass note, then three soft chords: oom, pah, pah, pah. Musicians call it bass + chords, one of the stride & boom-chick patterns: a deep bass note, then a chord. the left hand jumps.
How do I play bass + chords with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then E3 (3) + G3 (1), then E3 (3) + G3 (1), then E3 (3) + G3 (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 Oom-pah?
It is heard in thousands of songs of the library, as the main groove of 281 songs, such as Summertime (from Porgy And Bess), Jingle Bell Rock, Fix You, Think Of Me.
Is Oom-pah easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 100 beats a minute.