Practice Log
Practicing with a backing track (feat. Tennessee Whiskey)
Lesson #195
Video lesson
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Editorβs notes
In this entry of my practice log, Iβm super excited to share with you some of the exercises Iβve put together while continuing my practice of Tennessee Whiskey - all while using a backing track. Backing tracks are something I havenβt really ever messed with before, but for whatever reason I overcame some hurdle this past week. Made a track on my phone, using garage band. And oh, the fun! Practicing my strumming, grooving on a bassline, working out those lead licks of the song, and best of all - combining all of these into exercises that stretch my skill level, but also sound great. So with that, I offer you these 6 exercises, in addition to a separate video lesson for the backing track (which you can put on and use in the background as you play). Have at it, and enjoy!
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough
- 1:38 Greeting & agenda
- 3:44 Backing track overview
- 4:41 Exercise 1: muted strumming
- 6:26 Exercise 2: full strumming
- 8:04 Exercise 3: walking bassline
- 10:05 Exercise 4: bass note + strum
- 10:27 Exercise 5: intro lead licks
- 11:38 Exercise 6: intro lead w/ bass & strumming
- 12:56 Backing track misc. tips & tricks
- 14:30 Farewell & thanks
Backing track
Note, this track begins with:
- 2 measures of drums only, to help you get in sync with the rhythm, which leads toβ¦
- 1 full sequence of 8 measures, with the lead guitar track playing, and thenβ¦
- 5+ minutes of the 8 measure sequence repeating over and over, without the lead guitar
Before we start, letβs understand the boundaries
Most backing tracks are going to have a repetitive structure of some sort - which is super important that we understand while playing, so we always know whatβs coming next. For this exercise / track / song, weβll be playing within a repeating sequence of 8 measures. Each measure has 6 counts.
A A Bm Bm Bm Bm A A
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
And of course, the chord shapes needed for these two chords are as follows:
E ββββ0βββββ2βββββ
B ββββ2βββββ3βββββ
G ββββ2βββββ4βββββ
D ββββ2βββββ4βββββ
A ββββ0βββββ2βββββ
E ββββββββββββββββ
A Bm
Given this foundation, we can know approach all of the exercises Iβll outline in the rest of this document.
Exercise 1: Muted strumming
This first exercise simply involves strumming over all the strings with a muted left hand - i.e., donβt worry about playing the chords. Just worry about the strumming motion, and play along w/ the backing track so that youβre playing muted strumming on all the strings but staying in perfect sync with the rhythm.
D = down strum (muted) > = accented strum (extra emphasis)
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +
D D D D D D
> >
Exercise 2: Full strumming
Here, we want to strum the actual chords (A-major and B-minor) and use a strumming pattern. Any pattern will do, but I show this one because it is what you can hear being played in the Chris Stapleton version of Tennessee Whiskey. Focus on keeping a consistent volume and staying perfect in sync with the rhythm.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +
D U D U D U D U
> >
Exercise 3: Bassline riff
Sometimes, I like to take the bassline from the song and practice that on top of the backing track. This gives your left hand a break, as it isnβt too demanding to fret these notes - but it still gives you practice in staying on the beat and playing with feeling.
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββββββββββββ2β0βββ2β0βββ2βββββββββββ2β0βββ2β0βββ2βββββββββββ2β0βββ2β0βββ2βββββββββββ2β0βββ2β0βββ2β
A A Bm Bm Bm Bm A A
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Exercise 4: Bass note w/ strum
A way to combine the bass notes with strumming in a simple way, is to play this along with the backing track. Weβre going to pluck the bass note of each chord on the β1β count, and then the full chord on the β4β count. For extra credit, mute/silence the full chord immediately after its played. Also, you can walk up to the bass note played on the β1β count by following this tab:
E ββββββββ0βxβββββββββ0βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ0βxβββββββββ0βxβββ
B ββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ3βxβββββββββ3βxβββββββββ3βxβββββββββ3βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββ
G ββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββ
D ββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ4βxβββββββββ2βxβββββββββ2βxβββ
A ββ0βββββββxβββ0βββββββxβββ2βββββββxβββ2βββββββxβββ2βββββββxβββ2βββββββxβββ0βββββββxβββ0βββββββxβββ
E ββββββββββxβ0βββββββββxβ2βββββββββxβ2βββββββββxβ2βββββββββxβ2βββββββββxβ0βββββββββxβ0βββββββββxβ0β
A A Bm Bm Bm Bm A A
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Exercise 5: Lead intro licks
This may be what you came for: imitating the lead guitar riffs heard in the opening 30 seconds of the Chris Stapleton version of the song. Hereβs the tab. Play this along with the backing track:
E βββββββββββββββ(0)β βββββββββββββββββββ(2)β ββββββββββββββββββ(2)β E βββββββββββββββ(0)β
B βββββββββββββββ(2)β βββββββββββββββββββ(3)β ββββββββββββββββββ(3)β B βββββββββββββββ(2)β
G βββββββββββββββ(2)β βββββββββββββββββββ(4)β ββββββββββββββββββ(4)β G βββββββββββββββ(2)β
D βββββββββββββββ(2)β βββββββββββββββββββ(4)β ββββββββββββββββββ(4)β D βββββββββββββββ(2)β
A ββββββββ0ββ/4ββ(0)β ββ/4ββ2ββ0ββ/4ββ2ββ(2)β ββ/4ββ4ββ4ββ2βββββ(2)β A ββ/4ββ2ββ0ββ0ββ(0)β
E ββ0ββ2βββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββββ E βββββββββββββββββββ
A Bm Bm A
Exercise 6: Combining the lead licks with bassline & strumming
Finally, thereβs a bit of a hybrid approach I love to practice along with the backing track. This involves playing the lead licks, but where possible adding in the bassline filler as well as chord strums (usually on the β4β count). Hereβs the tab:
E ββββββββ|βββββββ0βxβββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ2βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ2βxββββββββββββββββ|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ββββββββ|βββββββ2βxβββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ3βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ3βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ2h3ββββ2βββββββββββ|β
G ββββββββ|βββββββ2βxβββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ4βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ4βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ2ββββββ2βββββββββββ|β
D ββββββββ|βββββββ2βxβββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ4βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ4βxββββββββββββββββ|βββββββ2h4ββββ2βββββββββββ|β
A ββββββ0β|β4βββββ0βxβββββ0βββ0β4β2β0β|β4β2βββ2βxββββ2βββββββ4β4β|β4β2βββ2βxββββ2βββ0β4β2β0β|β0βββββ0ββββββ0βββββββββ0β|β
E ββ0β2βββ|βββββββββxβ0βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββxβ2ββββββββββββββ|βββββββββxβ2ββββββββββββββ|ββββββββββββββββββββ0β2βββ|β
A Bm Bm A
4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Take this and run with it!
Best of luck. I hope this is helpful to you! The main point here - is thereβs no limit to the kinds of things you can practice, even with the constraints of a single backing track that uses a simple chord progression.
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