Left-hand pattern · Waltz garden
Oom-pah-pah
One strong beat and two light ones: a dance in three. Musicians call it waltz oom-pah-pah.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Oom-pah-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.
Waltz: Boom, chick, chick: one strong beat and two light ones.
Songs with Oom-pah-pah
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Oom-pah-pah, from verse to chorus.
More bounce & stride
All patternsQuestions about Oom-pah-pah
What is Oom-pah-pah on piano?
One strong beat and two light ones: a dance in three. Musicians call it waltz oom-pah-pah, one of the waltz patterns: boom, chick, chick: one strong beat and two light ones.
How do I play waltz oom-pah-pah with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), 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-pah?
It is heard in 526 songs of the library, as the main groove of 320 songs, such as Piano Man, Moon River, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Rocket Man (I Think It's Gonna Be A Long Long Time).
Is Oom-pah-pah easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 3/4, usually around 120 beats a minute.