Warm Up Exercise
Cowboy chords and walking bass lines
Lesson #219
Video Overview
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Editorβs notes
While practicing Colter Wallβs song βThinkinβ on a Womanβ I found myself taking a detour into this little rhythm figure, which features some cowboy chord walk ups & walk downs between A, E, and D. Combined with some alternating bass notes and some slap strumming, you have yourself one fun little exercise. Iβll teach you how to play it in two ways: one easier, and one a bit more difficult. Either way, quite the fun warm up exercise to mess around with. And for homework, I do very much recommend listening to Colter Wall βΒ heβs a young country artist from Saskatchewan who can write, and sing, one heck of a song.
Easier exercise riff
What makes this one βeasyβ is that your walkups happen on the quarter notes only. Also, thereβs no up-strumming involved. If you get a handle on this one, I suggest trying out the βintermediateβ version, which is based on the same chords & melody, but adds a bit more doubled up strumming in a few places (for both the first note of each walkup/walkdown, as well as within the main strums of each chord).
E βββββββββ|ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|β
B βββββββββ|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|β
G βββββββββ|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββββββ|β
D βββββββββ|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|β
A βββββββββ|ββ0βββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββββββ|β2βββ2βββββββ2βββ2βββ2βββ3βββ2βββ|β
E β0βββ2βββ|ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββ2βββ|βββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|β
A E
3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|β
β|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββββββ|β
β|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|β
β|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|β0βββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββββββ|β
β|ββ0βββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββ2βββ4βββ|βββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ3βββ2βββ|β
β|ββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
A D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|-
β|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββββ|-
β|ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββββββ|-
β|ββββββ2βββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|-
β|ββ0βββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββ2βββ2βββββββ2βββββββββββ|-
β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββ2βββ|β0βββ0βββββββ0βββ0βββ0βββ2βββ4βββ|-
A E
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|ββββββ0βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
β|ββββββ2βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
β|ββββββ2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ||
β|ββββββ2βββββββββββ0βββ0βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ||
β|ββ0βββ0βββ2βββ4βββββββββββ3βββ2βββ|β0βββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ||
β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββ3βββ2βββ0βββββββββββββββ||
A D A E
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Same exercise, a bit harder
What makes this variation tougher is a few things. First, youβre doubling up the first note of each walkup/walkdown. Second, youβre adding an up-strum after each full chord strum. I also like to use a bit of palm mute while strumming, in addition to playing the A-major chord with my barred index finger (mute the high E string while doing this). I very much need to get warmed up before I can settle into this one, but I do enjoy it once the blood is fully flowing through my hands. Enjoy!
E βββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββββββ|β
B βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββββββ|β
G βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββββββ|β
D βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|β
A βββββββββ|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββ3β3β2βββ|β
E β0β0β2βββ|βββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0β0β2βββ|βββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
A E
3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ3β3βββββ3β3βββββ3β3βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|β
β|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ2β2β4βββ|βββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ3β3β2βββ|β
β|βββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
A D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββ1β1βββββββββ|β
β|βββββ2β2β2βββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββ2β2βββββββββ|β
β|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3β3β2βββ|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ2β2β4βββ|β
A E
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
β|βββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
β|βββββ2βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
β|βββββ2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ||
β|βββββ2βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|βββββ2βββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ||
β|β0βββββββ2β2β4βββββββββββ3β3β2βββ|β0βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ||
β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββ3β3β2βββ0βββββββββββββββ||
A D A E
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Playing A-major with a single finger
Check out this video I made on this helpful technique, that can be used with this warmup exercise:
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