Warm Up Exercise

Two-finger acoustic blues in Drop-D Tuning

Lesson #163

Video Overview

Get the PDF chord sheet (3 pages)

  • Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
  • The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
Download the PDF on Patreon

After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.

Editor’s notes

In this lesson I’ll show you a warm-up exercise built around simple blues riffs in drop-D tuning. This uses only 2 strings – and is easier to play than its standard tuning counterpart. If your guitar is regularly in drop-d, this is a great little exercise to pick up and play to get the blood flowing.

Simple blues riff

After tuning your thickest string down from an E to D, start with these foundational riffs. Accent the 1st and 3rd counts in each 4-count sequence.

E –––––––––––––––    –––––––––––––––     –––––––––––––––      
B –––––––––––––––    –––––––––––––––     –––––––––––––––      
G –––––––––––––––    –––––––––––––––     –––––––––––––––      
D –––––––––––––––    –––––––––––––––     –––––––––––––––      
A ––0–––0–2–––2––    ––5–––5–7–––7––     ––7–––7–9–––9––   
D ––0–––0–0–––0––    ––5–––5–5–––5––     ––7–––7–7–––7––      
    D                  G                   A

And for each chord below, play the corresponding riff one time. E.g., begin by playing the D sequence four times in a row, then move to the G sequence four times in a row (etc).

D  D  D  D     G  G  G  G     A  A  G  G     D  D  A  A

Here’s the same sequence, written out as a full tab. Make sure you count with a consistent rhythm! e.g., “One-and-a, two-and-a, three-and-a, four-and-a” and so on… the idea being 3 sub-beats per each quarter note.

E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
G ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
D ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
A ||–0–––0–2–––2–0–––0–2–––2–|–0–––0–2–––2–0–––0–2–––2–|–5–––5–7–––7–5–––5–7–––7–|–5–––5–7–––7–5–––5–7–––7–|–
D ||–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–|–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–|–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–|–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–|–
     D           D             D           D             G           G             G           G
     1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

E –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––||
B –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––||
G –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––||
D –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––||
A –|–7–––7–9–––9–7–––7–9–––9–|–5–––5–7–––7–5–––5–7–––7–|–0–––0–2–––2–0–––0–2–––2–|–7–––7–9–––9–7–––7–9–––9–||
D –|–7–––7–7–––7–7–––7–7–––7–|–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–5–––5–|–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–0–––0–|–7–––7–7–––7–7–––7–7–––7–||
     A           A             G           G             D           D             A           A
     1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a   1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a

Jack Johnson-style riff

Very similar is this riff, which I demonstrate in the video. Here, you’ll only press your additive finger down on the 3rd count of each sequence (and be sure to accent that count). Also, there’s a transitional walkdown sequence that is used when going from the A to the G (which I mark as “A*”). Watch my video for context.

E ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––          
B ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––          
G ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––          
D ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––  ––––––––––––––          
A ––0––0––2––0––  ––7––7––9––7––  ––7––7––6––6––  ––5––5––7––5––       
D ––0––0––0––0––  ––7––7––7––7––  ––7––7––6––6––  ––5––5––5––5––          
    D               A               A*              G

And for each chord below, play the corresponding riff one time. E.g., begin by playing the D sequence four times in a row, then move to the G sequence four times in a row (etc).

D  D  D  D     A  A  A  A*    G  G  G  G    D  D  A  A

The same sequence written out as a full tab is as follows. The main idea here is to emphasize the “2” and “4” counts, if you can – as that’s where your additive note is being played, which adds the distinctive sound to the riff for each chord.

E ||–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
B ||–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
G ||–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
D ||–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–
A ||–0–0–2–0–0–0–2–0–|–0–0–2–0–0–0–2–0–|–7–7–9–7–7–7–9–7–|–7–7–9–7–7–7–6–6–|–
D ||–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–|–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–|–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–|–7–7–7–7–7–7–6–6–|–
     D       D         D       D         A       A         A       A*
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   

E –|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––||
B –|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––||
G –|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––||
D –|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––||
A –|–5–5–7–5–5–5–7–5–|–5–5–7–5–5–5–7–5–|–0–0–2–0–0–0–2–0–|–7–7–9–7–7–7–9–7–||
D –|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–|–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–5–|–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–0–|–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–7–||
     G       G         G       G         D       D         A       A
     1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +   1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

How to practice these

First, understand these foundational chord positions we’ll be using. 5th and 6th strings only for all three chords. For the G and the A, use your left index finger to barre the 5th and 6th strings on either the 5th fret (for the G chord) or the 7th fret (for the A) chord. See my video lesson for a demonstration.

E –––––––            –––––––            –––––––
B –––––––            –––––––            –––––––
G –––––––            –––––––            –––––––
D –––––––            –––––––            –––––––
A –––0–––            –––5–––            –––7–––
D –––0–––            –––5–––            –––7–––
     D                  G                  A

Next, the idea is to add a single note on top of the existing chord positions you know – and to get comfortable going back & forth between the main chord position, and the with-added-note chord position. For the D, you’ll want to add a single finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th fret (left index is fine). For the G and the A, you’ll want to use your left ring finger to play the additional note – while your left index is barring the 5th or 7th fret. Again, see my video lesson for a demonstration.

E ––––––––––            ––––––––––            ––––––––––
B ––––––––––            ––––––––––            ––––––––––
G ––––––––––            ––––––––––            ––––––––––
D ––––––––––            ––––––––––            ––––––––––
A –––0––2–––            –––5––7–––            –––7––9–––
D –––0––0–––            –––5––5–––            –––7––7–––
     D                     G                     A

Once you have this worked out, you’ll be able to tackle the riffs shown above. Good luck!

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).

Thanks!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!

Recent video lessons:

📝 Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample »

← back to lesson list