Bass Walk 5 Day Challenge
Day 4 – The Secret Sauce
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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.
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Responses
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Responses
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The bass walks and chicka’s remind me of Johnny Cash.
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The secret sauce will take some considerable devoted further efforts well beyond 10 minute session to get this right or to move ahead on this with the fingerings which are optimal and to maintain proper timing and optimal sound production. Work in progress over time. Still definite progress.
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Like the other comments – fingers don’t want to stretch to where they are supposed to on the A chord variation. Lot’s of work to do to get this right.
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yeahhhh….Day 4 of the Bass Walk, Secret Sauce, showing barred chords….not there yet, fingers not stretching as needed and the barred notes are not coming easy yet. Enjoyed trying, yet will definitely need to work on this section over time.
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A little above me. Enjoyed trying it, but those barres…. ugh.
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Hand cramp…
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Like this one, definitely need the practice with the barre chords.
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like it, on the descending note I sometimes slide from the 4th descending note to the 3rd descending note then pick the 2nd and 1st descending notes. The timing works better for me and there is no dissident 4th note noticed at all, that way. Timing works better for me also.
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not fun but still trying
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It was hard for me but will continue to work on it.
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I have trouble reaching the spread for the power chords but with my finger injuries i cannot play bar chords at all. So I am working on the power chord. But honestly as a new player I am feeling way behind.
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Yeah, the a shape is difficult…
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barr chords started getting harder to make. I need a little more finger strenth
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Transition from e shape to a shape is ok but back to the e shape finds me out of position with individual fingers. Time and practice!,,,,
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I was doing pretty well until I hit this one. Because of issues I have with my hand, bar chords are not possible (yet?). If anyone has any tips I would appreciate it.
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Barring is something I think everyone has a hard time with. I’ll mark Thia one as a continue to practice…
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Wow I hate bar chords I’m not doing very good with them at all!!
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I am marking this complete but struggles the entire time with the barre cords. I will revisit this again once I master them.
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Wow. I thought I had the F barre shapes under control but found I need to pay a bit more attention to how cleanly I’m playing the 6th string. After developing a trigger finger a few years ago when I tried to do the barre A, I now play the A with 3 fingers and decided to stick to that, with the whole forefinger barre, for the C and D chords. Works but a lot more practice needed. Great lesson.
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This is a great integration of bass walk and barre chords that I hadn’t put together before now. I love it!
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This is a great integration of bass walk and barre chords that I hadn’t put together before now. I love it!
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this was such a fun lesson
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This was good and really liked the transitions.
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Barre chords are always tough but this is great practice.
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Painful lesson, in more ways than one. Struggling to get the barre chords to ring true, along with difficulty moving them along the neck, combined with arthritis and joint pain, makes this a toughie for me. Fifteen minutes of this exercise and I’m calling it quits. If there was a 0.001x speed, I would still not be able to keep up!
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Don’t know if you will ever read this…. but I hope you are still enjoying playing!!
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I can sit and play Walk This Way for hrs!! lol Just love it. Now to add some lyrics! make a great funny song.
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LUVIN THIS! Taking awhile, with life happening and not getting to TAC as much as I would like, but, by far the most enjoyable 5 day challenge for me. Feel like I’m accomplishing something. Pretty cool.
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This course is going well. I plan to start a Day 1 and go through Day 5 once I finish Day 5. There’s a wealth of barre chord knowledge here. For anyone who doesn’t like the barre chords, Tony says use the power chords. I’m still having fun!
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0wie!!…high barre
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Forgot to add– The guy in the picture?- (with his guitar up on his neck?…..). Reminds me of MANY years ago when Bo Jackson broke a baseball bat in half over his neck just like that after he struck out once. Maybe this exercise is having that same effect on that guy in the picture… (?)….
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I give up. Period. I’ve been pecking away at this for over a month. I have more time on this lesson than ANY other single lesson- (inc 30-day, several Skills Challenges, Freight Train, and all the Daily lessons). I “have it” but I don’t have it. It’s got a cool sound, and I get the Bass-walk fundamental of it- but that’s it. Movin’ on.
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Tony’s descriptions just seem to be too FAST for me on this one! Too fast going from place to the next. To the point where he’s talking so fast as he moves thru it- that I just can’t keep up with what he’s saying. By the time I figure what he just said- he’s three steps ahead of me. Makes it bad because it is NOT an easy lesson to learn from the tabs. More- MUCH MORE- work to get this one……
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mkjohnsons, Use the speed control to slow his speech. It almost sounds like he’s just had dental surgery but I assure you, it’s only slowed. Don’t give up! You can do this. I’m a 72 year old woman and although it’s not perfect, it’s coming! I can do it! Maybe not as well as young people, but pretty close because anything less that success won’t do. Please try again.
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I just plain have one helluva time barring that A chord- (D,G,B strings)- while muting the high E- with my ring finger. I tried it in little chunks, and so slow it’s un-recognizable, and still have a ton of trouble- even after stretching. Can I just set my pinky on that high E to deaden it instead?
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Will make this cleaner when my fingers get a rest. It’s coming along.
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I agree, and I’ve got to strengthen my wrist and forearm muscles. Getting a little cramping in my forearm at the moment. Still, having a blast playing this!
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Multi tasking Saturday! Weight lift, do a crossword, open up TAC do a lesson, house clean. repeat!
What a workout! My fretting hand is a hurtin’, but good progress. The barre chords allow logical transitions! -
This one is tough….. going to have to practice to get a clear sound!.
-
This is a tough one for me. I’m getting a little better at playing a barre chord but because my fingers are short, I have to lay my other fingers down first before I lay my barre finger. Therefore I can’t play the walking bass notes unless the bare chord shape is the same.
Any suggestions?-
I agree that this is a tough one, especially the 2nd half using “full chord” transitions. I don’t have any suggestions except the one Tony mentioned, using the partial (power chord) shapes. I found that much easier than using the full chords. Hang in there!
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Congratulations, !
Challenge complete
Come back tomorrow for your next challenge

The bass walks and chicka’s remind me of Johnny Cash.
The secret sauce will take some considerable devoted further efforts well beyond 10 minute session to get this right or to move ahead on this with the fingerings which are optimal and to maintain proper timing and optimal sound production. Work in progress over time. Still definite progress.
Like the other comments – fingers don’t want to stretch to where they are supposed to on the A chord variation. Lot’s of work to do to get this right.
yeahhhh….Day 4 of the Bass Walk, Secret Sauce, showing barred chords….not there yet, fingers not stretching as needed and the barred notes are not coming easy yet. Enjoyed trying, yet will definitely need to work on this section over time.
A little above me. Enjoyed trying it, but those barres…. ugh.
Hand cramp…
Like this one, definitely need the practice with the barre chords.
like it, on the descending note I sometimes slide from the 4th descending note to the 3rd descending note then pick the 2nd and 1st descending notes. The timing works better for me and there is no dissident 4th note noticed at all, that way. Timing works better for me also.
not fun but still trying
It was hard for me but will continue to work on it.
I have trouble reaching the spread for the power chords but with my finger injuries i cannot play bar chords at all. So I am working on the power chord. But honestly as a new player I am feeling way behind.
Yeah, the a shape is difficult…
barr chords started getting harder to make. I need a little more finger strenth
Transition from e shape to a shape is ok but back to the e shape finds me out of position with individual fingers. Time and practice!,,,,
I was doing pretty well until I hit this one. Because of issues I have with my hand, bar chords are not possible (yet?). If anyone has any tips I would appreciate it.
Barring is something I think everyone has a hard time with. I’ll mark Thia one as a continue to practice…
Wow I hate bar chords I’m not doing very good with them at all!!
I am marking this complete but struggles the entire time with the barre cords. I will revisit this again once I master them.
Wow. I thought I had the F barre shapes under control but found I need to pay a bit more attention to how cleanly I’m playing the 6th string. After developing a trigger finger a few years ago when I tried to do the barre A, I now play the A with 3 fingers and decided to stick to that, with the whole forefinger barre, for the C and D chords. Works but a lot more practice needed. Great lesson.
This is a great integration of bass walk and barre chords that I hadn’t put together before now. I love it!
This is a great integration of bass walk and barre chords that I hadn’t put together before now. I love it!
this was such a fun lesson
This was good and really liked the transitions.
Barre chords are always tough but this is great practice.
Painful lesson, in more ways than one. Struggling to get the barre chords to ring true, along with difficulty moving them along the neck, combined with arthritis and joint pain, makes this a toughie for me. Fifteen minutes of this exercise and I’m calling it quits. If there was a 0.001x speed, I would still not be able to keep up!
Don’t know if you will ever read this…. but I hope you are still enjoying playing!!
I can sit and play Walk This Way for hrs!! lol Just love it. Now to add some lyrics! make a great funny song.
LUVIN THIS! Taking awhile, with life happening and not getting to TAC as much as I would like, but, by far the most enjoyable 5 day challenge for me. Feel like I’m accomplishing something. Pretty cool.
This course is going well. I plan to start a Day 1 and go through Day 5 once I finish Day 5. There’s a wealth of barre chord knowledge here. For anyone who doesn’t like the barre chords, Tony says use the power chords. I’m still having fun!
0wie!!…high barre
Forgot to add– The guy in the picture?- (with his guitar up on his neck?…..). Reminds me of MANY years ago when Bo Jackson broke a baseball bat in half over his neck just like that after he struck out once. Maybe this exercise is having that same effect on that guy in the picture… (?)….
I give up. Period. I’ve been pecking away at this for over a month. I have more time on this lesson than ANY other single lesson- (inc 30-day, several Skills Challenges, Freight Train, and all the Daily lessons). I “have it” but I don’t have it. It’s got a cool sound, and I get the Bass-walk fundamental of it- but that’s it. Movin’ on.
Tony’s descriptions just seem to be too FAST for me on this one! Too fast going from place to the next. To the point where he’s talking so fast as he moves thru it- that I just can’t keep up with what he’s saying. By the time I figure what he just said- he’s three steps ahead of me. Makes it bad because it is NOT an easy lesson to learn from the tabs. More- MUCH MORE- work to get this one……
mkjohnsons, Use the speed control to slow his speech. It almost sounds like he’s just had dental surgery but I assure you, it’s only slowed. Don’t give up! You can do this. I’m a 72 year old woman and although it’s not perfect, it’s coming! I can do it! Maybe not as well as young people, but pretty close because anything less that success won’t do. Please try again.
I just plain have one helluva time barring that A chord- (D,G,B strings)- while muting the high E- with my ring finger. I tried it in little chunks, and so slow it’s un-recognizable, and still have a ton of trouble- even after stretching. Can I just set my pinky on that high E to deaden it instead?
Will make this cleaner when my fingers get a rest. It’s coming along.
I agree, and I’ve got to strengthen my wrist and forearm muscles. Getting a little cramping in my forearm at the moment. Still, having a blast playing this!
Multi tasking Saturday! Weight lift, do a crossword, open up TAC do a lesson, house clean. repeat!
What a workout! My fretting hand is a hurtin’, but good progress. The barre chords allow logical transitions!
This one is tough….. going to have to practice to get a clear sound!.
This is a tough one for me. I’m getting a little better at playing a barre chord but because my fingers are short, I have to lay my other fingers down first before I lay my barre finger. Therefore I can’t play the walking bass notes unless the bare chord shape is the same.
Any suggestions?
I agree that this is a tough one, especially the 2nd half using “full chord” transitions. I don’t have any suggestions except the one Tony mentioned, using the partial (power chord) shapes. I found that much easier than using the full chords. Hang in there!