Murder ballad groove in A-minor

Lesson #179 • Oct 1, 2018

Video Overview

Instructional PDF 3 pages

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF! It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

Thanks for being a Premium member of Song Notes! Your support makes these lessons possible.

Download PDF

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF!

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

To download the PDF, upgrade to premium or log in.

Editor’s notes

This exercise is inspired by the bluesy, folksy riffs heard in the Colter Wall murder ballad “Kate McCannon”. 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. What’s great though, is how these sequences can be dialed up or down in their intensity – 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 —–—–––0–0–—–––0—0–—–––0–0–—–––0–0––
B —–—–––1–1–—–––1—1–—–––1–1–—–––1–1––
G —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––0–0––
D —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––2–2––   ...repeat
A —–0–——–—–—–———–—––0——––––—––––—––––
E —–—––––—–—0—–––––––—–––––—0h3––––––
    Am

Sequence 2:

E —–—–—–—––0–0––—––––––––0—0––––––––3–3–––––––––––0–0—––
B —–—–—–—––1–1––—––––––––1—1––––––––0–0–––––––––––1–1—––
G —–—–—–—––2–2––—––––––––2—2––––––––0–0–––––––––––2–2—––
D —–—–—–—––2–2––—––––––––2—2––––––––0–0–––––––––––2–2—––   ...repeat
A —–––—–0–—–—–—–3—0—–—0––——–—–––––––2–2—––2–0–––0––—––––
E —–0–3–—–––—–—––—––3–––––—–—–0–2–3––––—––––––3––––—––––
        Am                        G             Am

Playing the chords

You’ll 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 you’ve never learned it, but is worth becoming familiar with for songs such as this.

E —––0–––                              E —––3––– <= left pinky
B —––1––– <= left index                B —––0–––
G —––2––– <= left ring finger          G —––0–––
D —––2––– <= left middle finger        D —––0–––
A —––0–—–                              A —––2–—– <= left middle finger
E —––—–––                              E —––3––– <= left ring finger
     Am                                     G

How to learn sequence #1

Here’s 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 —–—–––0–––—–––0—––—–––0–––—–––0––––
B —–—–––1–––—–––1—––—–––1–––—–––1––––
G —–—–––2–––—–––2—––—–––2–––—–––2––––
D —–—–––2–––—–––2—––—–––2–––—–––2––––
A —–0–——–—–—–———–—––0——––––—–––––––––
E —–—––––—–—0—–––––––—–––––—0––––––––

    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Next, we’re 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, you’ll 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 —–—–––0–––—–––0—––—–––0–––—–––—––––
B —–—–––1–––—–––1—––—–––1–––—–––—––––
G —–—–––2–––—–––2—––—–––2–––—–––—––––   Start on the 3 count (*), then
D —–—–––2–––—–––2—––—–––2–––—–––—––––    ...repeat the entire sequence
A —–0–——–—–—–———–—––0——––––—––––—––––
E —–—––––—–—0—–––––––—–––––—0–––3––––
                            *
    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 “down” strum becomes a “down up” within the same amount of time.

E —–—–––0–0–—–––0—0–—–––0–0–—–––—––––
B —–—–––1–1–—–––1—1–—–––1–1–—–––—––––
G —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––—––––   Start on the 3 count (*), then
D —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––—––––    ...repeat the entire sequence
A —–0–——–—–—–———–—––0——––––—––––—––––
E —–—––––—–—0—–––––––—–––––—0–––3––––
                            *
    1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Finally, we’ll 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 “down up” 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 —–—–––0–0–—–––0—0–—–––0–0–—–––0–0––
B —–—–––1–1–—–––1—1–—–––1–1–—–––1–1––
G —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––0–0––   Start on the 3 count (*), then
D —–—–––2–2–—–––2—2–—–––2–2–—–––2–2––    ...repeat the entire sequence
A —–0–——–—–—–———–—––0——––––—––––—––––
E —–—––––—–—0—–––––––—–––––—0h3––––––
                            *
    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 you’re playing.

E —–—–—–—––0––––—––––––––0—–––––––––3–––––––––––––0––—––
B —–—–—–—––1––––—––––––––1—–––––––––0–––––––––––––1––—––
G —–—–—–—––2––––—––––––––2—–––––––––0–––––––––––––2––—––
D —–—–—–—––2––––—––––––––2—–––––––––0–––––––––––––2––—––
A —–––—–0–—–—–—–3—0—–—0––——–—–––––––2––—––2–0–––0––—––––
E —–0–3–—–––—–—––—––3–––––—–—–0–2–3––––—––––––3––––—––––
        Am                        G             Am

Once you have the above sequence under control, you can spice up the downstrums by turning them into a “down up” instead. This helps fill things out a bit.

E —–—–—–—––0–0––—––––––––0—0––––––––3–3–––––––––––0–0—––
B —–—–—–—––1–1––—––––––––1—1––––––––0–0–––––––––––1–1—––
G —–—–—–—––2–2––—––––––––2—2––––––––0–0–––––––––––2–2—––
D —–—–—–—––2–2––—––––––––2—2––––––––0–0–––––––––––2–2—––
A —–––—–0–—–—–—–3—0—–—0––——–—–––––––2–2—––2–0–––0––—––––
E —–0–3–—–––—–—––—––3–––––—–—–0–2–3––––—––––––3––––—––––
        Am                        G             Am

Good luck!

I hope you enjoyed this exercise. I recommend checking out the Colter Wall song “Kate McCannon” to see these two riffs in use - he does a great job capturing raw emotion in that song.

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 245 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

Key Master

See and hear the notes, chords, scales used in each of the most common keys.

View

Blank Tabs

Free PDF templates to download, print, and write out your own guitar tabs!

View

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!


Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!


Recent Lessons

  • December 6, 2024

    "Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

    Let's fingerpick this classic from CSNY! While it's originally a piano-driven song, I came up with a easy-going Key of C arrangement I think you'll enjoy.

  • November 28, 2024

    Thanksgiving Roundup: Improved Search, Vidami Coupon Code, and Melody Deep-Dives

    A collection of website & lesson updates from the past couple weeks, including a 20% discount code for Vidami pedals!

  • November 15, 2024

    "Scarlet Begonias" by Grateful Dead

    Let's dive into the 1974 classic from the Dead, with an acoustic-friendly arrangement using Key of G chords! I also show how you can include the catchy riffs wherever they occur, which is great way to channel the full spirit of this song.

  • November 12, 2024

    Does CAGED Help When Learning Songs?

    A quick audience Q&A video, where I talk about how CAGED helps (or does not help) when learning songs. Featuring the main riff from Scarlet Begonias by the Grateful Dead, which I'll be teaching soon!

  • November 8, 2024

    Rhythm Deep Dive: "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle

    Watch the process of me transcribing the rhtyhm of an incredibly tricky song! All shown in real time, in writing. Featuring "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle.

  • Nov 1, 2024

    Website Tour – November 2024

    A look at the state of the Song Notes website, as of November 2024. I've been working on more than just new lessons... check out the latest updates here!

  • Oct 24, 2024

    "Fast Car" - Strumming & Rhythm Guide!

    I've gotten a ton of emails asking how to strum Fast Car — here's a lesson showing 3 possible approaches! You can strum the whole song using what I teach, or combine this with the fingerstyle riff from lesson #494.

  • October 18, 2024

    CAGED - It's More Than Just Chords!

    Learn how each CAGED shape contains not only a chord, but also an arpeggio, pentatonic, and full diatonic scale! This is a must-know realization that'll level up any practice you do with these shapes.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage