Left-hand pattern · Pop heartbeat
Wobbly heartbeat
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass on beats 1, 2&, 3&, 4.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Wobbly 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 Wobbly heartbeat
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Wobbly heartbeat, from verse to chorus.
More heartbeats
All patternsQuestions about Wobbly heartbeat
What is Wobbly heartbeat on piano?
Two off-balance notes on the “ands”, then a firm landing on beat 4. Musicians call it root bass on beats 1, 2&, 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& · 3& · 4 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then C3 (5), then C3 (5), then C3 (5); 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 Wobbly heartbeat?
It is heard in 267 songs of the library, as the main groove of 45 songs, such as Cups (When I'm Gone), Footloose, Last Kiss, Sway.
Is Wobbly heartbeat easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 110 beats a minute.