In this video
Rhythm guitar is often the most important role in a band - just ask Malcolm Young, Rick Parfitt, Nile Rodgers, or Steve Cropper.
This lesson consolidates all the rhythm concepts from this Beginner Course and ensures you're not defaulting to the same strumming patterns, chords or even songs in your practice time.
We want to make sure our repertoire includes famous riffs across different styles but ones that connect with you and are your favourites!
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
Since You've Been Gone - Rainbow
Try focus on rhythm guitar principles that separate good players from great ones:
Spreads and slides: relaxing fingers while dragging down power chords
The early one chord: strumming on the "and" of beat 4 (Enter Sandman, Cigarettes and Alcohol)
Eighth note strumming: one-and-two-and patterns (Chasing Cars, Free Falling)
Palm muting technique: controlling dynamics with the outside of your palm
Small strumming motion with overdrive: let the amp do the work
16th note embellishments: avoiding big windmill strums with the smaller motions
Shuffle and swing grooves: one-and-two-and (late or delayed 'ands') feel for blues and songs like Sit Down by James
Compound time: 6/8 Time for House of the Rising Sun
Watch out for the most-common-strumming-pattern-ever trap. If everything you strum follows this pattern (D DU UD) you've hit a plateau.
Variety in rhythm is what takes you from beginner to intermediate. Keep your strumming motion small, especially with overdrive - excessive picking hand movement is a telltale sign of technical limitation.