Run-up footsteps
Four steady steps plus a quick extra one that leads into the next bar. One of the root note patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. It plays one note, C (little finger, 5).
Count and play
Count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1, 2, 3, 4 and 4&.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: G. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Run-up footsteps on piano?
Four steady steps plus a quick extra one that leads into the next bar. The root alone in a fixed rhythm, octave jumps optional. The piano version of a kick-drum pattern. Musicians call it root bass, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4&.
Is Run-up footsteps hard to play?
It is a beginner pattern. Play it with your left hand alone at 60% speed until it feels steady, then add the other hand.
Which songs use Run-up footsteps?
The One That Got Away by Katy Perry, Just Like Heaven by The Cure and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac use Run-up footsteps. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.