oom-pah-pah

Brass band beat

Oom-pah-pah is the rhythmic sound of a tuba or bass alternating with higher brass instruments in traditional German band music—the bass note on the downbeat, chords on the offbeats.

The term evokes beer halls, polkas, and lederhosen: an oom-pah-pah band at Oktoberfest.

Also spelled oompah or oom-pah.

musical

brass band

Horn and percussion ensemble

polkaBouncy partnered folk step
waltzDance in three-quarter time
tubaLowest brass instrument

marching band · Bavarian · accordion · bandstand · tempo · rhythm · beat · bass · downbeat · operetta

festive

Oktoberfest

Massive Bavarian brewing celebration

beer gardenOutdoor drinking establishment
biergartenOutdoor German drinking venue
lederhosenTraditional German leather shorts

dirndl · Munich · celebration · folk festival · tent · stein · merriment · revelry · carnival · fairground

onomatopoeia

rhythm

Patterned stress and silence

beatRhythmic pulse or strike
soundAudible wave phenomenon
repetitionAct of redoing

syllables · vocalization · imitation · musical notation · chant · refrain · chorus · singsong · cadence · patter

oom-pah-pah

brass band

Oktoberfest

rhythm

oom-pah-pah

Opposites

Categories

Family