Left-hand pattern · Pop heartbeat
Late ladder up
Waits a beat, then climbs three steps toward the next root. Musicians call it walk-up 5-6-7.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How Late ladder up 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 Late ladder up
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after Late ladder up, from verse to chorus.
More walks & steps
All patternsQuestions about Late ladder up
What is Late ladder up on piano?
Waits a beat, then climbs three steps toward the next root. Musicians call it walk-up 5-6-7, one of the walk-up patterns: step by step up into the next chord.
How do I play walk-up 5-6-7 with the left hand?
Over C major it is G3 (5), then A3 (4), then B3 (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 Late ladder up?
It is heard in 23 songs of the library, such as The Gambler, Air Mail Special, A Place In The Choir, American Girl.
Is Late ladder up easy?
It is an easy pattern, in 4/4, usually around 160 beats a minute.