Oom-pah

For other uses, see Oom-Pah-Pah (disambiguation).

Oom-pah played by accordion on C major chord with alternate bass  Play (help·info).

Oom-pah, Oompah or Umpapa is the rhythmical sound of a deep brass instrument in a band, a form of background ostinato.^[1][2]

The oom-pah sound is usually made by the tuba alternating between the root (tonic) of the chord and the 5th (dominant) — this sound is said to be the oom. The pah is played on the off-beats by higher-pitched instruments such as the clarinet, accordion or trombone. Oompah is often associated with Volkstümliche Musik, a form of popular German music. It is often associated with polka. In triple time genres such as the waltz it is oom-pah-pah.

The musical Oliver! contains a song named Oom-Pah-Pah, which is named after the oom-pah.

A more modern variation is the playing of contemporary pop and rock songs in an Oompah style, dubbed "Oompop", by bands such as Oompah Brass ^[3] (UK) and Global Kryner (Austria).

The jam band Phish play a song called "Harpua" in which begins with the band members singing "Oom-Pah-Pah" four times before the drums kick in. Referencing their song "Harpua," lead guitarist Trey Anastasio one said, "This next song is a story...and as with all good stories, this story begins with an um-pa-pa."

See also

• Duple time
• Carter Family picking
• Eläkeläiset
• Humppa

References

1. ^ Oompah, The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2008
2. ^ Oompah, Yourdictionary.com
3. ^ [1]