Toggle Side Panel
Back to Course

Bass Walk 5 Day Challenge

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
  1. Day 1 - Two Note Window
  2. Day 2 - Four Note Window
  3. Day 3 - Stepping Down
  4. Day 4 - The Secret Sauce
  5. Day 5 - Walk This Way
Bass Walk 5 Day Challenge Day 1 – Two Note Window
Lesson 1 of 5
In Progress

Day 1 – Two Note Window

Try this guitar challenge

STEP 1: Watch the video to learn the bite-sized piece of music
STEP 2: Click the “PLAY” tab below the video to play along with Tony until you can do it on your own.

Like this lesson? Join Tony’s Acoustic Challenge to keep going!

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  2. DCG73 March 9, 2026

    Hey all, hope you week is going well.
    Took me a minute to get this, wasn’t fun at first. I got there, just took me a while. Once I found my rhythm.

  9. DreamerW August 24, 2025

    I’ve always wanted to learn how to do this. I love it! Thanks, TAC!!! I’m going to take this slow and practice each one until it’s consistent.

  22. N-lightMike July 12, 2022

    Ok, so first, we are in the key of G. The 1,4,5 in G is G, C, D. Ok, then we go E, F#, G. That makes sense, those are all diatonic notes. Then we go A, B, C, again all diatonic notes. Then we go C, C#, D. Why do we break the pattern? Simple, we are in the key of G, and there is no C# note in that key, but it is the leading tone to D. So if we use B, C#, D, we are implying a key change cause those notes are from the key of D, not G. So if we use a chromatic run instead, it sounds just as cool, but doesn’t mislead the ear into thinking we are leaving the key of G.
    I had to figure this out for myself, cause at first I wanted to use the same pattern of the 6 note, a whole step to the leading tone, then the root note. In a major key, there are only 2 chords that have a major 7th, the 1 chord and the 4 chord. In this case, G and C. The 5 chord, in this case the D, has a flatted 7th, which is commonly called the dominant 7. But actually, the 5th degree, whether the note or the chord, is the dominant. So the “dominant 7 chord” is only the 5th chord. When you have a minor 2nd, minor 3rd, or minor 6th chord, they are not dominant 7th chords when you add the 4th note, but they are flatted 7th chords.
    Just sayin’. Too much misunderstanding in the realm of music theory.
    MG 🙂

    1. N-lightMike July 12, 2022

      I’m not sure what you are struggling with, John. Are you struggling doing the bass walk to the G chord? Or are you struggling playing the boom-chick-a rhythm on the G chord? Or are you struggling with making the G chord? These are all different issues.

      By the time we are doing this lesson, we should already be able to make the G chord with reasonable proficiency. Also, we should already be able to do the boom-chick-a rhythm decently. The reason is because we are trying to learn the bass walk. If you are trying to learn the boom-chick-a AND the bass walk, it would be very easy to create problems, and/or bad habits. Break things down and learn them one at a time.
      MG 🙂

      1. implant_gradeyahoo-com September 29, 2024

        Boom chicka was only covered in the 30 days to play on a short scale, then there is not a clear path on which skill course to do or when. It’s just random clicking.

  24. whizziwig July 4, 2022

    honest question – why do a chromatic walk up from G to C with C->C#->D, when B is already in the chord/fingering/”bass” of G, and in the key of C, so this could be a consonant walk up the scale of B->C->D?

  25. Mychael May 3, 2022

    I think that although this one may not be that difficult, it is a new way of walking between notes. Certainly there are more complicated lines but the change made it a challenge. Not coming so fast but making progress!

  31. Ted_D February 4, 2022

    Great, speed it up to 2x and sound like Johnny Cash! I tried playing this while slightly muting the G,B,E to really get the chika!

    1. Fly May 4, 2021

      Just got lost playing this for about an hour. Just what I needed really got into the rhythm. I’ve been trying to learn the harder bluegrass rhythm without first learning the basics. This has been a really fun enjoyable lesson.

  40. Melanie H April 19, 2021

    Loved this lesson! Have been wanting to learn this for ages. Question though: I understand the rhythm piece, but what is the whole step/half step formula leading up to the chords? Maybe I’m misunderstanding but it seems as if the bass walks leading up to G and C are whole/half and the bass walk leading up to D is half/half. Not sure how to apply this to other chords if it isn’t the same across the board.

    1. ScottB April 24, 2021

      Hi Melanie,
      You can try using notes in the scale you are in. Or that are in the scale of the note you are going to. For example, going to a C chord, notes in the C scale include B and C. Hence the whole step, half step in this case. You can figure things out for other notes/scales. Just remember a major scale, regardless of where you start is: W, W, H, W, W, W, H. Where W represents a whole step (two frets) and an H is a half step, 1 fret on the guitar.

    2. Dustin December 4, 2021

      Hi Melanie, To my understanding is the rhythm is circulating around 1,4,5, means, for example, open your five fingers, if the thumb is G , then ring finger is C, and last finger is D.
      Same way, if thumb is A then D, E next..
      Sorry that’s what I think. I am not sure answering yours. Be nice and play guitar.

You’ve been invited to experience Tony’s Acoustic Challenge

Stop Dabbling, Start Playing

GET STARTED

Watch the free class to discover the fun guitar learning method used by over 35,000 students to learn guitar through nostalgic songs from the 60s and 70s.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  2. DCG73 March 9, 2026

    Hey all, hope you week is going well.
    Took me a minute to get this, wasn’t fun at first. I got there, just took me a while. Once I found my rhythm.

  9. DreamerW August 24, 2025

    I’ve always wanted to learn how to do this. I love it! Thanks, TAC!!! I’m going to take this slow and practice each one until it’s consistent.

  22. N-lightMike July 12, 2022

    Ok, so first, we are in the key of G. The 1,4,5 in G is G, C, D. Ok, then we go E, F#, G. That makes sense, those are all diatonic notes. Then we go A, B, C, again all diatonic notes. Then we go C, C#, D. Why do we break the pattern? Simple, we are in the key of G, and there is no C# note in that key, but it is the leading tone to D. So if we use B, C#, D, we are implying a key change cause those notes are from the key of D, not G. So if we use a chromatic run instead, it sounds just as cool, but doesn’t mislead the ear into thinking we are leaving the key of G.
    I had to figure this out for myself, cause at first I wanted to use the same pattern of the 6 note, a whole step to the leading tone, then the root note. In a major key, there are only 2 chords that have a major 7th, the 1 chord and the 4 chord. In this case, G and C. The 5 chord, in this case the D, has a flatted 7th, which is commonly called the dominant 7. But actually, the 5th degree, whether the note or the chord, is the dominant. So the “dominant 7 chord” is only the 5th chord. When you have a minor 2nd, minor 3rd, or minor 6th chord, they are not dominant 7th chords when you add the 4th note, but they are flatted 7th chords.
    Just sayin’. Too much misunderstanding in the realm of music theory.
    MG 🙂

    1. N-lightMike July 12, 2022

      I’m not sure what you are struggling with, John. Are you struggling doing the bass walk to the G chord? Or are you struggling playing the boom-chick-a rhythm on the G chord? Or are you struggling with making the G chord? These are all different issues.

      By the time we are doing this lesson, we should already be able to make the G chord with reasonable proficiency. Also, we should already be able to do the boom-chick-a rhythm decently. The reason is because we are trying to learn the bass walk. If you are trying to learn the boom-chick-a AND the bass walk, it would be very easy to create problems, and/or bad habits. Break things down and learn them one at a time.
      MG 🙂

      1. implant_gradeyahoo-com September 29, 2024

        Boom chicka was only covered in the 30 days to play on a short scale, then there is not a clear path on which skill course to do or when. It’s just random clicking.

  24. whizziwig July 4, 2022

    honest question – why do a chromatic walk up from G to C with C->C#->D, when B is already in the chord/fingering/”bass” of G, and in the key of C, so this could be a consonant walk up the scale of B->C->D?

  25. Mychael May 3, 2022

    I think that although this one may not be that difficult, it is a new way of walking between notes. Certainly there are more complicated lines but the change made it a challenge. Not coming so fast but making progress!

  31. Ted_D February 4, 2022

    Great, speed it up to 2x and sound like Johnny Cash! I tried playing this while slightly muting the G,B,E to really get the chika!

    1. Fly May 4, 2021

      Just got lost playing this for about an hour. Just what I needed really got into the rhythm. I’ve been trying to learn the harder bluegrass rhythm without first learning the basics. This has been a really fun enjoyable lesson.

  40. Melanie H April 19, 2021

    Loved this lesson! Have been wanting to learn this for ages. Question though: I understand the rhythm piece, but what is the whole step/half step formula leading up to the chords? Maybe I’m misunderstanding but it seems as if the bass walks leading up to G and C are whole/half and the bass walk leading up to D is half/half. Not sure how to apply this to other chords if it isn’t the same across the board.

    1. ScottB April 24, 2021

      Hi Melanie,
      You can try using notes in the scale you are in. Or that are in the scale of the note you are going to. For example, going to a C chord, notes in the C scale include B and C. Hence the whole step, half step in this case. You can figure things out for other notes/scales. Just remember a major scale, regardless of where you start is: W, W, H, W, W, W, H. Where W represents a whole step (two frets) and an H is a half step, 1 fret on the guitar.

    2. Dustin December 4, 2021

      Hi Melanie, To my understanding is the rhythm is circulating around 1,4,5, means, for example, open your five fingers, if the thumb is G , then ring finger is C, and last finger is D.
      Same way, if thumb is A then D, E next..
      Sorry that’s what I think. I am not sure answering yours. Be nice and play guitar.

×

Lesson available on:

×

Congratulations, !

Challenge complete

Come back tomorrow for your next challenge

Report

Harassment or bullying behavior
Contains mature or sensitive content
Non-constructive feedback or complaining, subtle or obvious disrespect towards others, judgemental or angry comment.
Not on topic with the forum it's in or the post or lesson it's replying to.
Contains abusive or derogatory content
Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

  • Mention this member in posts
  • Message this member

Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Report

You have already reported this .