You may or may not know (or agree on) the title of the music which is the subject of this blog post, but I guarantee that you’ve heard it, and likely played it, before!
Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum with all parts included in this series
Take a listen!
Shorter arrangement
Take a listen!
There are so many reasons why it’s been popular for the better part of a century, if not longer.
First, it has a catchy tune with a strong I-V7-I (tonic, dominant seven, tonic) harmonic progression. Second, the black-to-white piano key patterns have an irresistible charm. It’s fun to learn and even more fun to play!
For generations, children, friends and family members have passed on this music orally and aurally from piano to piano.
This piece has traditionally been taught by rote (by demonstrating and copying the key patterns). For this reason, it may be taught to those who haven’t played many black keys or who don’t understand key signatures. From a piano teacher’s perspective, it gives beginning students intricate music to play in the key of G-flat major before they would normally be ready for it.
As a follow-up to my series on Heart and Soul and I Love Coffee, I Love Tea, I wanted a series on another traditional rote gem, ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’. I hope you and your students have fun exploring this number!
Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum technical read-out
The main technical prerequisite is for the student to already be able to play the piano comfortably without tension.
Through this piece, they’ll be able to practice:
- Cross-hand legato. The right hand slurs to the left hand.
- Left over right. The left hand plays over the right hand in extended alternating passages.
- Simultaneous legato and detached touch. Left hand plays legato while the right hand plays detached.
- Octaves (…if hands are big enough, single keys if not).
Structure
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ has a very predictable (and fun, and educational) harmonic progression and structure.
- First, the left hand (LH) introduces a key pattern below the right hand’s (RH) I-V7-I harmonies.
- Next, the LH crosses over the right to play the inversion (flipped) version of the same pattern. For example, if the lower LH’s original key pattern went down then up, once it crosses the RH it would play in the reverse order, up then down. It does this for each of the patterns introduced. Because the LH’s patterns are mostly on black keys, the patterns and inversions have the reverse key design ‘look’ on the piano keyboard, which makes them easy to see and teach.
- It repeats this alternating left hand zigzag for each of the patterns introduced: LH playing a pattern below, then the same pattern above, but inverted.
- Because each new section of music follows the same RH harmonic outline with the LH introducing new themes and inversions, one following the other, the formal structure can be compared to continuous variations, similar to Baroque pieces that are composed over a ground bass, like Pachelbel’s Canon.
In the structure of the piece, you might think of it as an arch. In arch form, the music takes on a type of symmetrical shape with a feature in the middle that feels like the pinnacle of the piece. Pattern 1 and its return with octaves create the outside mirrored sections.
Some fun background on ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’
Most of us learned this amazing music from a neighbourhood friend or a family member. Although the music is widely known, few in North America can name this piece.
When I poked around the internet looking for recordings and a possible name, there was no clear winner. Possible candidates are:
- Shave and a Haircut (based on a version by Nancy and Randall Faber)
- Chopsticks
- ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ (Favoured name in the UK.)
- Flohwalzer (German for ‘Flea Waltz’)
- Szamárinduló (Hungarian for ‘Donkey March’)
It seems that in the UK, some play ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ but call it Chopsticks. However, as the name Chopsticks belongs to yet another rote piano piece, I don’t believe that it can be the title of this piece. It goes by different names in different countries. Keep reading!
It’s actually a Global Phenomenon
Although this piece is played in North America, its title seems to be a bit of a mystery. Not so in the rest of the world!
FLEA titles:
Germany: Flohwalzer (The Flea Waltz)
China: “跳蚤圆舞曲” (Flea Waltz)
Netherlands: “Vlooienmars” (Flea March)
French-speaking countries: “Valse des puces” (Flea Waltz)
CAT titles:
Japan: “Neko Funjatta” (ねこふんじゃった, I Stepped on the Cat)
Taiwan: “踩到貓兒” (Stepped on a Cat)
Korea: “고양이 춤” (Cat Dance)
Bulgaria: “Koteshki Marsh” (Cat March)
Finland: “Kissanpolkka” (Cat’s Polka)
Other Animals:
Slovakia: “Somársky pochod” (Donkey March)
Hungary: “Szamárinduló” (Donkey March)
Russia: “Sobachiy Val’s” (Собачий Вальс, ‘Dog Waltz’)
Chile: “La Polka de los perros” (Dogs’ polka)
Mexico: “Los Changuitos” (The Little Monkeys)
Czech Republic: “Prasečí valčík” (Pig Waltz)
Other titles:
England: “Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum” and “Chopsticks”
Spain: “La Chocolatera”
Poland: “Kotlety” (Cutlet)
Mallorca: “Polca de los Tontos” (Fools’ Polka)
My personal backstory with this piano music. As a child I heard other kids and older teens playing sections of this music (usually at breakneck speed), though no one called it by any particular name. It was very popular and was even played by kids who’d never had piano lessons! Back in the 80s kids seemed to teach this music to each other because many homes had pianos, and schools usually had an extra piano in a dusty corner that kids were allowed to play. I mostly forgot about it until early in my piano teaching career, when I came across it in Faber’s Lesson Book 2B. That’s when I remembered the original black and white pattern that I’d tried as a child. Personally, I feel it’s easier to teach and play with the black-white-black key patterns. When played in G-flat major, this piece has an exciting and clearly defined design on the piano. Every few years I’ve gone through a spell of teaching it to my piano students!
But for my blog series, I wanted to know more about it.
Several months ago I had a video call with piano teacher Helen Colvin and she called it ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’. This is my favourite possible name as it makes direct reference to the rhythm of the opening riff of the music. Here’s Helen’s story on how she learned this music.
Helen Colvin had her earliest experiences at the piano in the UK. She grew up in a home with an 1870s Broadwood piano and a father who loved Classical music. One day an insurance man visited and played tunes like Little Brown Jug for them. This piqued Helen’s interest in the piano and she started taking lessons at age 11. She teaches piano today on Vancouver Island, Canada. As a child, she learned our rote piece from her aunt who was visiting from Barbados, who called it ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’.
Unit Plan
You may treat this rote piece simply as one piece of repertoire that your student is learning, alongside all of the other pieces they are working on. Begin by teaching the music to your student as you would any rote piece. First study the blog posts and watch the videos on my YouTube channel for ideas.
This teacher intro post opens up a small suite of blog posts that you can share directly with your students to help them practice between lessons. Ideally, you would share only one until your student has mastered the music or challenge, and then share the next one. It is recommended that you use the student-centred posts in this order:
Learning and Playing ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the First Pattern 3 different ways [FREE printables]
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the Second Pattern 2 different ways [FREE printables]
Rote Piano ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Learn the Third Pattern 2 different ways [FREE printables]
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Shave and a Haircut Ending, 3 different ways [FREE printables]
Fun Intro to Keyboard Harmony
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ and the I – V7 – I chord progression [FREE printables]
I – V – I is the most common chord progression in music. This post shows how music is kept interesting with the pull between chord one (the tonic) and chord five (the dominant). Specifically, chord I and chord V7.
Unlocking creativity at the piano
‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’: Create your own Variation [Coming soon!]
Explore being creative with music. ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’ helps kids experience how easy it can be to branch out with a new variation.
This piece is THRILLING to play! It’s a traditional masterpiece. I hope you and your students enjoy!
P.S. Why have I chosen a penguin as the mascot of “Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum”? It’s because the penguin and this piano number both have iconic, irresistible black-white patterns!
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Video of the Week
The Babe in the Cradle goes Rock, Rock, Rock has memorable black-white key patterns that are easy to teach and learn, just like ‘Diddle-Um-Pum-Pum’. It will knock their socks off! Play the 12 Bar Blues in jazzy rock style, inspired by the Batman theme and the Pink Panther theme. Levels: US, Late Elementary. AMEB, Level 1. ABRSM, 1. RCM, Level 2. Want this piece? Check out The Babe in the Cradle goes Rock, Rock, Rock eSheet in my shop!
