Popping Melody Line — Week 7 Complete

At last, the final day of Week 7! Today you complete this week's pop melody and double-stop into one line. The pop that sang on the high strings now closes into one sentence. It's short, but it sings, and it shuts the door with a chord at the end. The two-month journey is nearing its end, too.

Today's finished line goes like this. On the high strings, pop b3-4-5-4-b3 up and back down, rest briefly, then snap the D+G double-stop at the end to finish on a chord. The melody sings, and at the last moment the two notes close the door together. It packs everything you learned this week into one line. You sing with the pop and place a clean period with the double-stop.

Start at BPM 75 and first watch whether the five pop notes flow evenly. If the line smears, drop the tempo and shape the melody and the double-stop separately, then rejoin them. Don't rush the final double-stop — place it clearly on the spot after that one-beat rest. This short single measure is this week's fruit. More than flashy tricks, one clear line lasts far longer.

Even on a 5-string, the high-string line is the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B deadened with the thumb and focus only on the pop melody. The pop, double-stop, and double-thumb taste you built over the past days all fit into this one line. Leave it on both a 4-string and a 5-string today, and it's Week 7 complete. Six weeks of slap gather into this one line today. First mark the four notes the line passes through on the fretboard.

▶ 4-string. The b3·4·5 on the G string are the melody; the open b7 on the D string is the partner for the closing double-stop.

▶ 5-string. The hand spots are the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

Today you leave behind the finished line! First warm the hand with the pop arch, then repeat and record the popping melody + double-stop. Each example comes in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.

First, the pop arch walk. Pop b3-4-5-4-b3 up and back down to warm the front of the finished line into the hand.

▶ BPM 70, 4-string. The b3-4-5-4-b3 pop arch. Warm the spot where the finished line begins.

▶ 5-string. The notes and spots are the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

This week's finished piece — popping melody + double-stop. After the five-note pop melody, finish like a chord with the D+G double-stop.

▶ BPM 75, 4-string. Pop b3-4-5-4-b3 on the high strings, then snap the D+G double-stop together at the end.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Deaden the low B (5th string) with the thumb and focus only on the high-string melody. The double thumb is a prose-only taste, like yesterday.

0–10 min · Warm-up Shake yesterday's double-thumb taste lightly at BPM 50, then wake the hand with the pop arch. Today you'll capture this very flow in a recording.

10–20 min · Brain training Run the finished line very slowly as below, carving into your hand the double-stop spot at the end of the melody.

▶ BPM 60, 4-string. Very slowly. Check that the D+G double-stop arrives in place after the five notes.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Keep the low B covered with the side of the thumb.

20–40 min · Real play Repeat the finished line at BPM 75. If the line smears, drop the tempo and revive the melody and the double-stop separately. Learn it on the 4-string, then confirm the same line on the 5-string.

40–50 min · Record/feedback At last, the recording. At BPM 75, record two or three loops without stopping, and keep the best one as this week's line. Leave both a 4-string and a 5-string take, and Week 7 is complete.

Done when: you can smoothly record the finished line — a popping melody (b3-4-5-4-b3) joined to a D+G double-stop — at BPM 75 on both a 4-string and a 5-string. — Weekly deliverable: a recording of my first popping melody line. (Week 7 complete!)

Nudge the finished line up to BPM 85 and check that the melody and the double-stop stay alive even as it speeds up.

▶ BPM 85, 4-string. Check that the pop melody and double-stop stay clearly alive even as it speeds up a little.

▶ 5-string. The notes and the move are the same as on a 4-string. Always keep the low B deadened with the thumb.

• The double-stop is late. If the hand is busy in the melody, the last two notes drag. Rest one beat and move the hand over in advance.
• The pops are bumpy. The 5 (B) tends to get loud. Trim the five notes to the same size.
• The chord splits. If the two double-stop fingers misalign, it splits. Snap them at the same time into one mass.
• Neglecting low B (5-string). Absorbed in the line, B rings easily. Always keep B covered with the side of the thumb.