Warm Up Exercise
Murder ballad groove in A-minor
Lesson #179
Video Overview
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Editorβs notes
This exercise is inspired by the bluesy, folksy riffs heard in the Colter Wall murder ballad βKate McCannonβ. Each of the two sequences are based in A-minor, and use a relatively small amount of repeated flourish notes on the 5th and 6th strings. Whatβs great though, is how these sequences can be dialed up or down in their intensity β which makes for some nice practice opportunity when it comes to dynamics as part of musical storytelling.
Full riff for this exercise
Sequence 1:
E ββββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0ββ
B ββββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1ββ
G ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ0β0ββ
D ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2ββ ...repeat
A ββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0h3ββββββ
Am
Sequence 2:
E βββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ0β0ββββββββ3β3βββββββββββ0β0βββ
B βββββββββ1β1βββββββββββ1β1ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ1β1βββ
G βββββββββ2β2βββββββββββ2β2ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ2β2βββ
D βββββββββ2β2βββββββββββ2β2ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ2β2βββ ...repeat
A ββββββ0βββββββ3β0βββ0βββββββββββββ2β2βββ2β0βββ0βββββββ
E ββ0β3βββββββββββββ3βββββββββ0β2β3βββββββββββ3βββββββββ
Am G Am
Playing the chords
Youβll need to know these two chords. An important note here is the fingers used in your G-major chord voicing: note how the left ring finger plays the 6th string bass note. This may feel awkward if youβve never learned it, but is worth becoming familiar with for songs such as this.
E βββ0βββ E βββ3βββ <= left pinky
B βββ1βββ <= left index B βββ0βββ
G βββ2βββ <= left ring finger G βββ0βββ
D βββ2βββ <= left middle finger D βββ0βββ
A βββ0βββ A βββ2βββ <= left middle finger
E βββββββ E βββ3βββ <= left ring finger
Am G
How to learn sequence #1
Hereβs a step-by-step guide to learning the first sequence. In essence, this is just an A-minor chord played by plucking alternating bass notes before each strum.
E ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0ββββ
B ββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1ββββ
G ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2ββββ
D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2ββββ
A ββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Next, weβre going to add a simple 6th string walk-up at the end of the sequence. Use your left ring finger to play this 3rd fret note. Also, note that the very first time you play this, youβll want to start on the 3 count (*) so the walk-up kicks things off. From there, just repeat the entire sequence over and over.
E ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0ββββββββββββ
B ββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1ββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2ββββββββββββ Start on the 3 count (*), then
D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2ββββββββββββ ...repeat the entire sequence
A ββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββ3ββββ
*
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
The next step is to add double-strumming to each of the chord strums. That is, a single βdownβ strum becomes a βdown upβ within the same amount of time.
E ββββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0ββββββββββ
B ββββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1ββββββββββ
G ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2ββββββββββ Start on the 3 count (*), then
D ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2ββββββββββ ...repeat the entire sequence
A ββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββ3ββββ
*
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Finally, weβll add some complexity to the walk-up by (1) using a hammer-on to go from the open to 3rd fret; and also (2) adding a βdown upβ strum of the would-be A-minor chord shape - which will have the G string open, since that left-hand finger is playing the 6th string walkup note.
E ββββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0ββ
B ββββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1ββ
G ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ0β0ββ Start on the 3 count (*), then
D ββββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2ββ ...repeat the entire sequence
A ββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0h3ββββββ
*
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
How to learn sequence #2
This sequence is a bit more heavy with the walkups and walkdowns. When starting off your practice, only do a single downstrum on each of the chords youβre playing.
E βββββββββ0βββββββββββββ0ββββββββββ3βββββββββββββ0βββββ
B βββββββββ1βββββββββββββ1ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββ1βββββ
G βββββββββ2βββββββββββββ2ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββ2βββββ
D βββββββββ2βββββββββββββ2ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββ2βββββ
A ββββββ0βββββββ3β0βββ0βββββββββββββ2βββββ2β0βββ0βββββββ
E ββ0β3βββββββββββββ3βββββββββ0β2β3βββββββββββ3βββββββββ
Am G Am
Once you have the above sequence under control, you can spice up the downstrums by turning them into a βdown upβ instead. This helps fill things out a bit.
E βββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ0β0ββββββββ3β3βββββββββββ0β0βββ
B βββββββββ1β1βββββββββββ1β1ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ1β1βββ
G βββββββββ2β2βββββββββββ2β2ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ2β2βββ
D βββββββββ2β2βββββββββββ2β2ββββββββ0β0βββββββββββ2β2βββ
A ββββββ0βββββββ3β0βββ0βββββββββββββ2β2βββ2β0βββ0βββββββ
E ββ0β3βββββββββββββ3βββββββββ0β2β3βββββββββββ3βββββββββ
Am G Am
Good luck!
I hope you enjoyed this exercise. I recommend checking out the Colter Wall song βKate McCannonβ to see these two riffs in use - he does a great job capturing raw emotion in that song.
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