Warm Up Exercise
Mudfootball G-D7 Shuffle
Lesson #180
Video Overview
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Editorβs notes
This exercise is inspired by the opening riff heard in Jack Johnsonβs song βMudfootballβ off his 2001 debut album. It features only two chord shapes (G & D7), but itβs made unique by the interesting voicing of each chord along with the muted strumming pattern thatβs used. The chord voicings as well as the muted strumming technique are particularly helpful to have in your bag of tricks, in my opinion β so I wanted to share! This has long been a favorite warm-up exercise of mine, going back to when I first learned guitar.
Full warmup exercise
E ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ||ββ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβxββ|ββ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβxββ|β
G ||ββ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβxββ|ββ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβxββ|β
D ||ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|β
A ||ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|β
E ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^
G G
E β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
B β|ββ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβxββ|ββ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβ3βxβxβxββ||
G β|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ||
D β|ββ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβxββ|ββ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβ4βxβxβxββ||
A β|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ|ββ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβ5βxβxβxββ||
E β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^ v ^
D7 D7
Learning the chords
First, understand the two chord shapes youβll be playing. Individually, they look like this. Note how your left-handβs index and ring fingers stay in the same exact place for each chord! All youβre doing is switching your left-hand middle & pinky finger between the 3rd and 4th strings.
E βββββββ E βββββββ
B βββ3βββ <= left index B βββ3βββ <= left index
G βββ4βββ <= left middle G βββ5βββ <= left pinky
D βββ5βββ <= left pinky D βββ4βββ <= left middle
A βββ5βββ <= left ring A βββ5βββ <= left ring
E βββββββ E βββββββ
G D7
Also, I should note that itβs ideal to mute the high & low E strings for both these chords. Do this by letting your left-hand index finger lightly touch the high-E string, and letting your left-hand ring or thumb lightly touch the low-E string. If you lightly touch these strings (but donβt press them down into the fretboard), theyβll be βmutedβ and make no sound when strummed. This lets you strum all six strings, but only results in the middle 4 strings making an actual noise (which is what we want here).
The muted βgrab strumβ technique
As I describe and demonstrate in the video, this exercise gives a good chance to practice (1) muting all the strings while continuously strumming in an down-up-down-up (etc) manner; and then occasionally (2) depressing your fingertips on to the fretboard to play the necessary chords β but doing this only for a single strum, before returning to the mute-all-the-strings left-hand posture, via un-pressing the strings agains the fretboard (but still muting them). This is ridiculously hard to describe with text all by itself! So I implore you to see my video for reference β as this technique can be used in so many situations outside of this warmup exercise.
Using these same shapes in different keys
When learning this exercise, itβs helpful to understand that these same exact shapes can be shifted up (or down) the fretboard, and will continue to sound good when played together β even though the key is changing. For example, hereβs the chords youβd be playing if you switched to a few different frets:
E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ
B βββ1ββββ1βββ B βββ3ββββ3βββ B βββ5ββββ5βββ B βββ7ββββ7βββ
G βββ2ββββ3βββ G βββ4ββββ5βββ G βββ6ββββ7βββ G βββ8ββββ9βββ
D βββ3ββββ2βββ D βββ5ββββ4βββ D βββ7ββββ6βββ D βββ9ββββ8βββ
A βββ3ββββ3βββ A βββ5ββββ5βββ A βββ7ββββ7βββ A βββ9ββββ9βββ
E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββ
F C7 G D7 A E7 B F#7
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