Theory
It's the last day of Week 1. You gather the chord tones you've learned all week into one and make the F7 chord-tone arpeggio this week's product. By now you've got all of F7·Bb7·C7's safe stones you can step on in your hands. Today you pick just one of them, F7, and finish the week by walking R-3-5-b7 cleanly in quarter notes.
The finished line is very simple. Root F (4th string, 1st fret) → 3rd A (4th string, 5th fret) → 5th C (3rd string, 3rd fret) → b7 Eb (3rd string, 6th fret). One note per beat, climbing in swing quarters at BPM 80. These four notes are the "safe stones" over F7, and whatever walking you learn from here, this arpeggio is the skeleton. Fancy decorations can go on later; today is all about walking this framework clearly and evenly.
Today you also lay out the three chords' fretboards side by side. Taking in F7·Bb7·C7's chord-tone positions all at once makes the real walking lines you'll learn from next week far easier. Confirm again that the three chords are the same hand shape moved around, and press from R to b7 with your fingertips.
First, grab again the two stones you step on most — the root F and the 3rd A.
▶ 4-string. The root F (4th string, 1st fret) and the green note, the 3rd A (4th string, 5th fret). These are the two stones you move between most in walking.
▶ 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, today's finished arpeggio is also the same in notes and positions as on a 4-string. Thanks to the low B string, you can also try the same F7 heavier, one octave lower. For now, complete this week's product cleanly on a 4-string.
See it
Now you make this week's product. First check F7·Bb7·C7's three fretboards side by side, then run the F7 chord-tone arpeggio as the finished line. Every example comes in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.
First, the F7 fretboard. The four blue dots are R·3·5·b7.
▶ 4-string. From the root F (4th string, 1st fret) to the b7 Eb (3rd string, 6th fret). Today's finished arpeggio is exactly these four spots.
▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.
Next is the Bb7 fretboard. The four blue dots are R·3·5·b7.
▶ 4-string. From the root Bb (3rd string, 1st fret) to the b7 Ab (2nd string, 6th fret) — the F7 shape moved one string up.
▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.
And the C7 fretboard. The four blue dots are R·3·5·b7.
▶ 4-string. From the root C (3rd string, 3rd fret) to the b7 Bb (2nd string, 8th fret) — the Bb7 shape pushed up two frets.
▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.
Now this week's product, the F7 chord-tone arpeggio. Step up R-3-5-b7 in swing quarters at BPM 80, clearly.
▶ BPM 80, 4-string. Step F7's R (4th string, 1st fret) - 3 (4th string, 5th fret) - 5 (3rd string, 3rd fret) - b7 (3rd string, 6th fret) clearly. These four notes are the "safe stones" over F7.
▶ BPM 80, 5-string. Same notes and positions as the 4-string. Drop to the low B to try the same F7 in a heavier low register too.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up Walk yesterday's three-chord arpeggio walk once at BPM 72. Bring the three chords' feel back to your fingertips.
10–20 min · Brain training Looking at the F7·Bb7·C7 fretboards, check each chord from R to b7 with your fingertips. Then, with the prep example below, step the F7 arpeggio slowly, holding each note a half measure long.
▶ BPM 72, 4-string. Ring each note a half measure long. It's a warm-up that lets you learn the position shifts between notes with room to spare.
▶ BPM 72, 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. Rest your hand over the low B.
20–40 min · Real play (this week's product) Repeat the F7 chord-tone arpeggio above at BPM 80. One note per beat; the goal is for R-3-5-b7 to ring all at the same, even volume. Learn it on a 4-string, then confirm the same feel on a 5-string.
40–50 min · Record/feedback Record 30 seconds and listen for whether the four notes connect cleanly and evenly. Noting the BPM you reached this week gives you a solid starting point for next week's walking lines.
Done when: you can walk the F7 chord-tone arpeggio (R-3-5-b7) in swing quarters at BPM 80, cleanly and evenly, on both a 4-string and a 5-string. (Week 1 complete!)
- You rush because it's the finish. It's the last day and you want to speed up, but if the four notes aren't even at 80, the line collapses. Evenness comes first.
▶ 4-string. The three blue dots are each chord's home (root) — F (4th string, 1st fret), Bb (3rd string, 1st fret), C (3rd string, 3rd fret). If these three homes are solid, the rest follows.
▶ 5-string. The positions are the same as on a 4-string. You can drop to the low B to grab lower roots too.
- You let the b7 slip. It's easy to cut the final b7 short and move on. The fourth stone must ring fully for F7 to be complete.
- Neglecting the 5-string low B. If you brush B while focused on the finish, the low end leaks. Always keep the unused B covered.
- Praise yourself for the week. Getting all the chord tones into your hands is real progress. Next week you'll learn the actual walking lines that connect these stones.