Chord tones up and down — arpeggio walking

So far you've only stepped chord tones from low to high. Today you add going up and down — coming back down the very path you climbed, retracing your steps. Walking doesn't move in only one direction. Going up and then coming back down to build a bridge into the next chord is the real walk. Knowing only how to go up is half of it; knowing how to come down too lets you connect anywhere.

The method is simple. On F7, climb R-3-5-b7, then take the top b7 as the peak and come down in the order b7-5-3-R. You're just retracing the spots you pressed on the way up, so there's nothing new to memorize. The key here is turning direction smoothly at the peak b7. Notes tend to blur on the way down, so step just as clearly as you did going up.

Let's take one more step. Arpeggio walking — sweep one chord's chord tones in quarter notes, then move naturally into the next chord's chord tones. Today you'll walk in the order F7 → Bb7 → C7, one chord per measure, linking the arpeggios. When the chord changes, just start stepping again from that chord's root. This is the most basic skeleton of walking bass.

Sketch F7's up-and-down path in your eyes with the map below.

▶ 4-string. Climb from the root F, turn direction at the b7 Eb, and come back down to R. You're making a round trip across the same four spots.

▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.

If you play a 5-string, this up-and-down is also the same as on a 4-string. Once comfortable, you can use the low B string to try an alternate line starting from a lower root. For today, focus on an even round trip and the links between chords.

Now learn it by sound. First play the F7 up and down, then practice a two-chord walk that moves from F7 to Bb7. The moment the chord changes is the most thrilling spot in walking. Every example comes in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.

First, F7 up and down. Climb R-3-5-b7, then come down b7-5-3-R.

▶ BPM 72, 4-string. The first measure climbs, the second comes down. Turn direction smoothly at the peak b7.

▶ BPM 72, 5-string. Same notes and positions as the 4-string. Rest the low B, and once comfortable, extend lower.

Next is a two-chord walk, F7 → Bb7. Walk each chord as an arpeggio, one measure each.

▶ BPM 72, 4-string. First measure F7, second measure Bb7. When the chord changes, start again from that chord's root.

▶ BPM 72, 5-string. Same notes and positions as the 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.

0–10 min · Warm-up Run each of the three chord arpeggios you learned yesterday once, ascending, at BPM 70. Bring the three homes' positions back to your fingertips.

10–20 min · Brain training Repeat the F7 up-and-down very slowly, getting the turnaround at the peak b7 into your hand. The goal is coming down just as clearly as going up.

20–40 min · Real play (today's product) Repeat the F7 → Bb7 → C7 arpeggio walk below at BPM 72. One chord per measure; when the chord changes, step again from the root to connect it naturally.

▶ BPM 72, 4-string. Walk the three chords as arpeggios, one measure each. Keep it flowing so it doesn't break at the chord boundaries.

▶ BPM 72, 5-string. Same notes and positions as the 4-string. Rest the low B, and once comfortable, extend lower.

40–50 min · Record/feedback Record 30 seconds and listen for whether the seams are smooth where the chord changes. If a spot breaks or drags, re-walk only that part slowly.

Done when: you can take F7·Bb7·C7's chord tones up and down in quarter notes, and walk the three-chord arpeggio (one measure each) without breaks at BPM 72.

• It blurs on the way down. It's clear going up but the notes smear coming down. Practice the downhill on its own, slowly.

▶ 4-string. This is the way down, in the order b7-5-3-R. Step each note just as clearly as you did going up.

▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.

• The beat drags at the chord boundary. If your hand is late the instant the chord changes, the groove collapses. Aim at the next root one beat before the change.
• You rush the tempo. If you push past 72 while the seams aren't smooth, everything wobbles. Smoothness comes first.
• Neglecting low B (5-string). If you brush B while moving up and down, the low end leaks. Always keep the unused B covered.