Walking bass over ii–V–I in C

Quarter notes that walk through Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7: chord notes on the strong beats, half-step approaches into each new chord.

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70 BPM
Start at 70 · goal 160 BPM
Press play — or hit the space bar.
Position on the neck
0 frets
Frets 2–5 · key: C majorSee the scale →
1234EADG12341234123412345234535432525234

Where to play it

012345678910111213141516171819EACC♯DDEFF♯GGA
Playing now Notes in this lick

How to practise it

  1. Beat 1 of every bar is the root of the chord; beat 4 is a note a half step away from the next root.
  2. F♯ leads into G, D♭ leads into C, C♯ leads back to D — that pull is what makes walking bass swing.
  3. Play each note full length, joined to the next, and feel the swing on 2 and 4.
  4. Start at 70 BPM. Only speed up when you can play it cleanly three times in a row — the goal is 160 BPM.