mdc

An example of 2 would be to take a phrase you know, pick a note and displace it by an octave. The fingering changes completely. You can do it with more than 1 note if you want, but start off with something simple.

3 would be varying the duration of notes that you play. You could jump from a half note to eighth note triplets and vice versa.

I'd say rhythmic variety is more important than note choice... to a certain extent.

There's also the small matter of silence as well. Space.

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Mephaphil

Yea see I seem to have problems with the triplets and 16th notes. I would love to be able to mess around with them but I just don't have the licks or speed something.

Which is weird because I know what they are, and I can play them in songs, and I play most things well after 18 years of guitar, but being largely self taught this is one of the holes my teacher has to plug

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mdc

It's really useful to think of a rhythm in your head first, and then play it. Forget about note choice.

Play that BT in the your vid, but don't play over it. Conceive a rhythm in your head first. Don't think in notes, just rhythm.

Something like 1 e + a 2 rest 4 +

So that's basically Beat 1 straight sixteenths, beat 2 quarter note, beat 3 quarter note rest, beat 4 straight eighths.

Pick a single note on the guitar and play it in that rhythm...

... now add some notes.

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Mephaphil

Ok. I don't really get that 1e+2a stuff... Lol.

I'll have to have a read. Due to the fact that my teacher was teaching me about the major scale, chord structure and the pentatonic we didn't get onto that as such. I think he mentioned it and I was like 'yep yep' but I didn't take it in.

Dumb I know. Anyone got a link?

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mdc

ah, he should really teach you how to read basic rhythm notation. I'm not saying learn to sight read through a gig, just the basics of rhythm. Not even notes on the staff, just the rhythm.

Whole note - lasts for 4 beats

Now do the Math

Half Note -

Quarter note -

Eighth note -

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Mephaphil

Whole is 4 beats.

Half is 2 so you'd play 1 note every other click.

Quarter is 1 so you'd play 1 note per click?

So 8th is... 0.5? So you'd played 2 notes per click? And 16th would be 4 per click?

The 1 e = a whole note, the A 2 = a half note? So 1 per 4 beats followed by 2 notes for the next bar?

I don't know what the a and e mean though lol.

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Mephaphil

I can't play 4 notes per click on that backing track lol. 8th is as fast as I go.

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mdc

yeah man, you done the math right. I wanted to let you do it so that it sinks in better, rather than spoon feeding people. That way I KNOW you understand it.

1 e + a are the syllables you use (and speak) to demonstrate 16th notes which, as you know, is 4 notes per click.

Picking strokes - D U D U.

Tap your foot on the first down (in bold) only. That is the metronome click.

By tapping your foot and playing simultaneously, it's the best way to understand rhythm. The best. Does wonders for your timing as well.

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mdc

That's ok. Set a metronome up.

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Mephaphil

Yea so what I do to get the rhythm is pick alternate in time, 1 beat per click, then double it, and double it again. Then I'm on 16th notes.

I get what you mean, but it's hard to put it into practice.

Ok I have a metronome.

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mdc

Yea just keep doubling up.

Eighth notes - D U
Sixteeth - D U D U

It's good practice to switch the rhythm every beat. In other words:

beat 1 - eighth notes
beat 2 - sixteenths
beat 3 - eighth's
beat 4 - sixteenths.

This challenges your picking hands ability to "change gear" to a constant underlying pulse...

... to which you're tapping your foot of xourse.

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Mephaphil

Ok. So with the metronome, should I set it to a certain bpm and just alternate between 8th for the first click then rest for the second then quarter for the 3rd and 8th for the 4th. Etc?

What speed? One that I'm comfortable with right?

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mdc

You can play 16ths at that tempo cuz I just listened to it again. Sounds good.

Anyhow, try 70 bpm.

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Mephaphil

Yea I can comfortably do it at 100 bpm I just realised.

The bpm on that backing track is a lot higher. Plus I'm barring and hammering. It's a bit different.

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mdc

it's hard trying to teach through a forum. I recommend asking your teacher to focus on rhythmic notation.

If he hasn't mentioned the importance of tapping your foot to the pulse (beat), then get on it.

And this may seem like childs play, but clapping set rhythms really help... whilst tapping your foot.

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Mephaphil

Oh shit. I think I've got something of a breakthrough.

I'll post something tomorrow. I'm just mixing up the amount of notes I play per click. I think I'll be able to identify them easier as I start playing more like this.

I think that as I've played so long I already know it, but don't have the education to articulate it. I know lots, but don't know lots.

I'll post something tomorrow. Thanks so much. X

I actually have great rhythm, I play drums a bit, self taught obviously and have independent coordination of my feet to the point where I can play the rhythm with the right and the snare with the left in a crazy manner.

It's hard to explain...

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Mephaphil

Also, what sounded good? The video or the 16th notes in it? It wasn't Zaphods thing unfortunately, it was too static. More bends are needed and more expression, he's totally right.

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mdc

I know I could tell from the video. You were able to switch from eighths to triplets with ease, which was the section that Zaph pointed out also.

It's a classic case of being able to do it, but not knowing the theoretical term. That's self taught players for you! Believe I know, cuz I'm self taught.

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Mephaphil

Yea I'm not even sure what section that is haha.

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