The boogie riff — walking with 5th, 6th, b7

You got the two hand shapes (root+5th, root+6th) under your fingers yesterday, right? Today we add just one note, the b7 (4th string, 5th fret), to complete a real boogie riff. That motion of walking up bouncily from the root — 5th → 6th → b7 — is the sound of the blues 'walking.' The moment that one b7 is added, a slight 'taste of tension' appears in the plain riff, making it far more bluesy.

The whole motion happens on the single 4th string. 2nd fret = 5th, 4th fret = 6th, 5th fret = b7 — keep the open A on the 5th string (the root) laid down and just walk the top finger up. For fingering, use index for the 5th, ring for the 6th, and your pinky for the b7 to make the stretch easy.

Let's look at the map your hand will walk first.

▶ On the 4th string, 5→6→b7. Over the open A of the 5th string, index, ring, and pinky walk up in order.

The classic boogie order is R-5-6-b7-6. Walk up, then dip back to the 6th to close the bar, and out comes that famous 'chug-a-chug-a' groove. Today's goal is to connect this one bar smoothly.

It's fine if your pinky can't reach the b7 yet. Push your wrist slightly forward and it gets much easier. Today the goal is not dropping a single note rather than speed. Once this one bar sticks in your hand, tomorrow you'll stack the shuffle on top for the complete A7 boogie. Today isn't a speed contest; it's all about the 'connection' of joining four notes neatly. The slower you go, the faster it actually sticks.

Now let's move the map into sound. In straight quarter notes, one bar of R+5 → R+6 → R+b7 → R+6. (Tomorrow we stack the shuffle on this.)

▶ BPM 70, shuffle it. Keep the open 5th string held down and open and close your fingers on the 4th string. If a bouncy feel comes out, you've got it.

0–10 min · Warm-up BPM 55. Loosen your hand by alternating yesterday's two double stops (5th, 6th). Check that the root keeps ringing.

10–20 min · Brain training (today's target = adding the b7) On the hand that's used to the 5th and 6th, lay only the new pinky b7 on top. Shuttle 5→6→b7 without sound.

Use the half-note version below to check all four notes one by one, clearly.

▶ BPM 55, shuffle it. Hold R+5, R+6, R+b7, R+6 each long. Listen for every double stop ringing.

20–40 min · Real boogie (one bar / BPM 70) Repeat the R-5-6-b7-6 bar without a break. Watch whether your fingers walk without snagging.

40–50 min · Recording / self-feedback (recommended) Record 30 seconds, then check: can you hear all four notes / does it not break at the b7.

Today's completion criteria: You can connect one bar of the R-5-6-b7-6 boogie riff at BPM 70 without dropping a note.

Here are just the spots that tend to jam up in the boogie riff.

▶ 6th→b7 with the pinky. Place the pinky (5th fret) right next to the ring finger (4th fret).

• The b7 won't press. Your pinky lacks force. Push your wrist forward and stand the pinky tip up.
• The riff smears. Pre-spreading all fingers overlaps the notes. Press only at the needed moment.
• The root disappears. Fussing over the top fingers, you miss the open A. Keep the 5th string alive always.
• The beat rushes. Reaching to the b7 makes you hurry. Slow is fine — keep all five notes even.