Left-hand pattern · Pop heartbeat
Ladder home
A low chord, then three steps climbing up to the octave. Musicians call it walk-up 1-6-7-8.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Ladder home goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Walk-up: Step by step up into the next chord.
Songs with Ladder home
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Ladder home, from verse to chorus.
More walks & steps
All patternsQuestions about Ladder home
What is Ladder home on piano?
A low chord, then three steps climbing up to the octave. Musicians call it walk-up 1-6-7-8, one of the walk-up patterns: step by step up into the next chord.
How do I play walk-up 1-6-7-8 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5) + G3 (4), then A3 (3), then B3 (2), then C4 (1); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use Ladder home?
It is heard in 34 songs of the library, such as Your Song, White Christmas, Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man, Stardust.
Is Ladder home easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 100 beats a minute.