Practice Log
Adding fills to the Wild Horses intro
Lesson #209
Video lesson
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Editorβs notes
Last week I started learning the Rolling Stones song βWild Horsesβ β and it didnβt take me long to realize how much subtle guitar layering can be heard in the intro to the song. The intro is a few transitions between G and A-minor - but in that simplicity thereβs a whole lotta acoustic elegance you can tap into, even if youβre playing by yourself. In this lesson, Iβll show you a few ways you can take a solo acoustic approach to capturing the spirit of the Wild Horses intro β- and at the end of the day, youβll come away with some fun little tricks you can use whenever you find yourself strumming the G and A-minor chords. Enjoy! -David Pots (Jan 22, 2019)
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & agenda
- 2:00 G & A-minor, four counts each
- 2:43 Strumming patterns
- 5:04 Spicing up the G-major chord
- 6:48 Riffs: overview of all of them
- 8:09 Riff 1 of 6
- 11:10 Riff 2 of 6
- 13:57 Riff 3 of 6
- 15:25 Riff 4 of 6
- 17:03 Riff 5 of 6
- 18:01 Riff 6 of 6
- 19:41 Farewell & final advice
Best acoustic version by The Rolling Stones
β¦in my opinion.
The lay of the land for this practice exercise
One measure of G, followed by one measure of A-minor. Repeat, over and over. At the highest level, this is the sandbox weβll be playing in. Note that in the final 2 counts of the A-minor measure (from the β3β count and after), weβll be freely playing some riffs during those counts. Iβll get to the riffs later, but first let me explain how to fill things out with some strumming.
Then, play some
Strum... Strum... Strum... lead riffs here!
v v v v v v v v
E |ββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B |ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
G |ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
D |ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β ...repeat
A |ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E |ββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
G Am
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Strumming patterns
Strumming pattern used in the Rolling Stonesβ album recording of this song:
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
D D U D D U D U
But, you could keep it much simpler and do this:
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
D D D D
Want to spice it up a bit more, but keep it simple? Do all down strums (on the quarter notes), but add an up-strum on the βaβ count just before the β1β and β3β counts
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
D D U D D U
Strumming w/ a lead-in bass note
A nice way to keep a simple strum while adding a bit of distinction to things, is to lead-in to each strum by playing the bass note of the chord (on the 1 and 3 counts) and then strumming all remaining strings (on the 2 and 4 counts). Even if you donβt use this all the time, itβs a nice option to have to mix up the sound when you need to.
E ββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ|ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ|β
B ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββ|ββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ1βββββββ|β
G ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββ|ββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββ|β
D ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0ββββββββ|ββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββ|β
A ββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ2ββββββββ|ββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|β
E ββ3βββββββββββββββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
G Am
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Spicing up the G chord
Now, letβs look at some ways to spice up the individual chords. Starting with the G chord, weβll want to use this 2-finger voicing (on the left) where youβll mute the 5th string by simply letting your left ring finger touch the string - but not press it down. This deadens the string, so even if it is strummed it wonβt make a sound. From here, you can freely shift to the right voicing - where your left index & middle fingers go in the positions they normally would go for a C-major chord. This is a nice way to add flourish to your G-major strumming.
E ββ3βββ <== left pinky finger E ββ3βββ <== left pinky finger
B ββ0βββ B ββ1βββ <== left index finger
G ββ0βββ G ββ0βββ
D ββ0βββ D ββ2βββ <== left middle finger
A ββxβββ A ββxβββ
E ββ3βββ <== left ring finger E ββ3βββ <== left ring finger
G G*
Hereβs one way you can play the 4 counts of the βGβ chord, using this new voicing I show above. Notice how I transition from the regular G chord to the βG*β voicing, before going back to the G chord.
E ββ3βββββββ3βββ3βββ3βββββββ3ββββββββ
B ββ0βββββββ0βββ1βββ0βββββββ0ββββββββ
G ββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββ0ββββββββ
D ββ0βββββββ0βββ2βββ0βββββββ0ββββββββ
A ββxβββββββxβββxβββxβββββββxββββββββ
E ββ3βββββββ3βββ3βββ3βββββββ3ββββββββ
G G G* G G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
The riffs
All of these riffs are happening in the second half of the A-minor measure (which happens after the 4 counts of G). After each A-minor measure, youβll be resolving back to a measure of G. All of the riffs below are inspired by the Rolling Stones album version of this song. Freely play the riffs you want, along w/ the strumming you want. Or you can make up your own riffs!
Riff #1
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
B ββ1βββββββββββββββββββ3β3β3βββ1ββββ|ββ0βββ
G ββ2βββββββββββββββββββ4β4β4βββ2ββββ|ββ0βββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2βββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Riff #2
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
B ββ1βββββββββββββββ1β0ββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
G ββ2βββββββββββββββββββ2β0β2βββ2ββββ|ββ0βββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2βββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Riff #3
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
B ββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
G ββ2βββββββββββββββ2βββ0βββββββ0ββββ|ββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββββββββ2βββββ0β2ββββββ|ββββββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Riff #4
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
B ββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
G ββ2βββββββββββββββ2β0βββββββββ0ββββ|ββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ0β2ββββββ|ββββββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Riff #5
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
B ββ1ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
G ββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββββββ|ββββββ
D ββ2βββββββββββββββββββ0β2βββ2β0ββββ|ββββββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Riff #6
E ββ0ββββββββββββββββββ10ββ10βββ8ββββ|ββ3βββ
B ββ1ββββββββββββββββββ12ββ12ββ10ββββ|ββ0βββ
G ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ
D ββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0βββ
A ββ0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2βββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3βββ
Am G
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
Good luck!
I hope this was helpful to you! This was fun for me to practice while learning Wild Horses, and I hope you found it valuable.
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