Rhythm Guitar

Today, since I saw no articles, I'll teach the very basic to most advanced rhythm guitar.

Basic rhythm. While alot of rythem guitarist don't get as much fame as lead guitarists, the rhythm is what keeps the song together. Lets start with a small practice exercise.

Hells Bells Intro:
e|------------------------------|------------------------------|
B|------------------------------|------------------------------|
G|----9---7------5-----7--------|----9---7------5-----7--------|
D|------7---7------5-----7------|------7---7------5------5-5---|
A|--0-----------0-----0------0--|--0-----------0----0---3-2-0--|
E|------------------------------|------------------------------|

This is a small exercise to warm up.

Composing your own rhythms.
How to compose your own rhythms is solely based on your tuning. Standard tuning you use power chords or bar for upper strings and drop D or drop C are the opposite. Also rhythms don't have to use chords, they can use single string notes tied together to create a rhythm. An example of each:

Power Chord ex. Blind Standard Tuning:
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-----4---5----4----5--6-6-6-6--|
E|--0-2-0-3-0-2-0-3--4-4-4-4-----|

Bar Chord ex. Smoke On The Water Intro:
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------|
D|--5-8-10--5-8-11-10--5-8-10-8-5--|
A|--5-8-10--5-8-11-10--5-8-10-8-5--|
E|---------------------------------|

Single-note Rhythm ex. Hallowed Be Thy Name Secondary Riff:
e|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|----------------------6--------|
A|----4-5-7-5-4-5-4---7-6-4-5-4--|
E|--7----------------------------|

Combination: Power Of I And I Intro, Right Now:

Power Of I And I Intro:

C|--------------------4-3-------------|
G|--4-3-0-1-2-1-0-2-1-0-4-3-0-1-0-2---|
C|--4-3-0-1-2-1-0------0-4-3-0-1-0-2--|

Right Now:
C|----------------9-----------8-----------7----------|
G|--1-1-1-1-3-1-0-9-1-1-1-1-0-8-1-1-1-1-0-7-1-1-1-1--|
C|--1-1-1-1-3-1-0-7-1-1-1-1-0-6-1-1-1-1-0-5-1-1-1-1--|

A good way to compose rhythms is to listen to other songs and practice them to get good, then try making your own. Here's one I made:

G|--1--1-1-1--1-1--1-1--3-2-1-2--|
C|--1--1-1-1--1-1--1-1--3-2-1-2--|

If you notice, it sounds similar to the KoRn song, Faget. I made that riff after listening to it.

Rhythming unser solos.
You just played your harmony and getting ready for the moment. You look at your fellow guitarist and nod then he shreads a lead solo while your doing a sick rhythm under it. Rhythming under solos is one of the hardest part of being a rhythm guitarist: it's usually super-fast and if you screw up, you screw up the solo. Let's do the rhythm part of the solo to "The Ghosts Of Past Failures" by Shadows Fall (rhythm guitarist - Matt Bachand):

Part 1
G|--7-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7-7-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-0-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
C|--7-7-7-7-7--7-7-7-7-7-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-0-5-5-5-5-5-5-5--|
PM. . . . .  . . . . . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . . . . . . .   

Part 2
G|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-0-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3--|
C|--3-3-3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-0-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3--|
PM. . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 	

While this may look easy, it is pretty fast and fast Palm Muting like this is pretty hard, especially since you up and down stroke. I'm out, but before I go, If you guys weren't challenged enough, here's a little sumthin' to try:

What Drives The Weak Mini Solo(Shadows Fall):
F|----------------------------------------------8-8/10--13-13p10-13--|
A|--(6)p5-------------10--12-12b-------------------------------------|
D|--------7p5--7-----10--12-12b--12p10-9--10-------------------------|


F|15-----12-13-12--------------20b-20b-(20)-----20-------------------|
A|------x-----------13-----------------------15/17-18---17--18-(18)\-|
D|---x------------------15---(15)------------------------------------|

F|--15/18--17--13--15b-(15)------------------------|
A|---------------------------------15-13-13-13/15--|

I know it's not a rhythm, but it's for guitarists who want a challenge. I'm out. Any question, e-mail me at [e-mail]

Comments

[NWOAHM_cain]

i *heart* matt bachand, he is the man!!

[Dexter Smith]

2nd, good stuff about rhythm guitar

[slash_pwns]

when i think of rhythm guitar for beginners i think of major chords, power chords and staying satndard tuning....

your shadows fall tab are updidw down:P

[SForbz-Rockstar]

wouldnt that smoke on the water one be doublestops instead of bar chords??

[The UG Squirrel]

i dont think many will find this helpful, and smoke on the water is written in fourths, or inverted power chords

[espen]

g|--0--3--5---0--3--6-5|
d|--0--3--5---0--3--6-5|


this is the correct veersion

[GuitarAngelme]

I am a beginner and I have just gotten my guitar. I can't even play it! Do you have a lesson on how to play?

Look here http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/

[ramonesfan]

Hells Bells,Ac Dc is wrong.

[tomatopot]

that was kinda confusing. break it RIGHT DOWN to the basics, explain about rhythm guitar and then start reli slowly

[Chris71]

the AC/DC tab is right untill it gets to "3-2-0" on the A string that part is not played on just one string

[Chris71]

also the "5-5" fingerings on the D string is not needed

[Psykotik]

looks like a beginner who really wanted to make a lesson.

[MrOtter]

yeah, maybe it was just me but that was pretty useless. If you really want a good lesson on rhythm guitar playing pick up the new guitar one mag. it has some nice instruction and some really fun riffs.

[heggazz]

very shit lesson, sorry but it really was. Did not explain any aspect of rhythm, I agree that it was just a beginner who wanted to make a lesson.

[LPriffer23]

who cares who wrote it. he is just tryin to put some of his creative ideas out there...i dont see any of you tryin at this.

[Towlie]

I respect your effort, nice try.

[cloud12321]

i cant tune my guitar in at all i have tryed here and loads of other sites can some one help please:'(

[egads]

It is not helpfull at all to a beginner. It just confuses things. "How to compose your own rhythms is solely based on your tuning. " WRONG. rythme has to do with time, not tuning. "Standard tuning you use power chords or bar for upper strings and drop D or drop C are the opposite." WTF for starters. The first part of the sentence seems to say that power chords are used with standard tuning. That is not what I have been told. Power chards are used with NON-standard tuning. It looks like you let showing off ruin a basic lesson.

[egads]

"How to compose your own rhythms is solely based on your tuning." WRONG

[endwy]

I suggest that lessons like these be posted in the "techniques", not "beginner" section.

[ScreamingGibson]

I didnt really like this. Most tabs were wrong to lol. dont reall ythink this is gonna help any begginers. Im teaching a friend rigt now and im sure this wouldnt help her

[paul101590]

Nice.....yah

[shadows666]

At least you tried, dude!! Better luck next time!

[saulpage]

uhhg does everything have to be dropped tuning? ***in Numetal heads...

[FloAlin13]

that lesson sucked, a beginner would not understand what you are talking about. looks like you jsut wanted to show off how much you know about rhythm guitar, which isn't very accurate.

[Sepultura_max]

Im a kinda beginner in using tabs but a few things i don't understand is pull of and hammer on and harmonic and how do i know how fast i have to play something?

[Mike_uk2k]

To be honest, this lesson sounds like a complete blag. Clearly whoever wrote it has been playing for a few months, and is only really a beginner themself, but thought they were good enough to teach someone how to play rhythm guitar. Better luck next time, and a couple of tips: Don't try to sound like you know more than you actually do, and don't try to teach someone music unless you have a full knowledge of music yourself. Pinching the Faget riff? Gimme a break...

[Sepultura_max]

lol,but that doesn't answer my question

[WeirdMariachi]

WHos is Mike JOnes ?

[ace_brendan]

i am a rythem guitarest and this lesson insults me a rythem guitarest uses whatever tunings. but your also suposed to listen to the bass the drums and feel the chord changes and progresions. smoke on the water isnt rythem its a cheap riff you should be teaching barre chords dude and how to switch from chord to lead and then back.

[connorguitarboy]

bab hunter

[PANfukinTERA]

i'm no expert but i didn't find this lesson to be very informative..when i learned rhythm guitar, i found METAL RHYTHM GUITAR VOL. ONE, by TROY STETINA to be most helpful,i recommend it to anyone that wants to learn, it comes with a cd including step by step instructions, and also has live band tracks to play along with. In my opinion the book teaches just about everything there is to know about rhythym guitar

[Ironman325]

rytym guitar lesson is hard. help:,(

[jgn24]

Im new to this web site and im looking to learn to play guitar better, how can i get a lesson?

[ShavedApe]

looks like its missing to me ?

[BigFatSandwich]

Composing your own rhythms.
How to compose your own rhythms is solely based on your tuning. Standard tuning you use power chords or bar for upper strings and drop D or drop C are the opposite.

NO
How to compose your rhythms is not based solely on your tuning. How you play your rhythm is based on your tunings.

NO
You do not use a barre to play power chords, you use a barre when you're playing in drop D. That's the main benefit of drop D--you can play powerchords with one finger, making it much easier and allowing you to play faster.

NO
The strings you are referring to are not the top strings... they are the bottom strings.

NO
Drop C is an incorrect term. Drop C would mean that your guitar is tuned CADGBE. What you refer to as "Drop C" is actually Drop D, then a whole step down.

NO
Everything is not "the opposite". What does that even mean, anyway? That doesn't even make sense.

Ok, I'll stop there. I think I did a pretty good job of getting my point across: This sucked. If I could give it a zero, I would.

[14GreenDay]

a 1 is just as bad

[thebrokensmile]

that 'smoke on the water' tab is wrong.

[notoriousnumber]

thats great to know...care to correct it mate?

[Nicegrrs]

Hells Bells intro is wrong.
G|-5-5--|
B|-3-2-0|

[Mortigi Tempo]

rythms good if your a beginner or like to siiiiing XD

[fingersofflame]

actually, smoke on the water starts with a g chord...it is played:

g|--0--3--5--0--3--5b6~~0
--3--5--3--|
d|--0--3--5--0--3--5b6~~0
--3--5--3--|

trust me, it's right, i am reading it from the february 2006 issue of guitar world, the steve morse lesson...also, hells bells is wrong it is played:

g|-----7_7-----|
d|--5-----7_7--5--5----| the other parts of the intro
a|-----0-----3--2--0-| riff are also questionable...

[fingersofflame]

oohh...shit that didn't come out
right in the post...the point is,
you play smoke on the water: G5,Bb5,C5;
and then the part for hells bells is:
G|-7_7-----|
D|-7_7-5-5---|
A|-----3-2-0-|
and a few other parts of the
intro riff are quesionable

[fingersofflame]

and i would consider billy joe armstrong to be a rythm guitarist as well...all of the verses and choruses are chords, almost none of them are "leads" so to speak...though i do like green day a lot...

[rockergurl09]

good lesson, but you forgot James from Metallica. Awesome rhythm player.

[futurejmmy102]

sweet lesson man

[dimebag7]

hmm jeff is the lead man.

[pecos_bill]

What about Dimebag?

[Zero_Berserker]

What About James Hetflied!!?? He's a kick ass rhythm guitar man, i can't belive u leave him out of it.
Nice lesson man

[Duckys1223]

I Need to Learn Rhythem Guitar and this really helps thx

[darocker123]

ramonesfan wrote:

Hells Bells,Ac Dc is wrong.

actualy thats seemed perfect 2 me.

really helpful
thnx

[xrtromarine]

Have anyone ever mentioned Dynamics rather than Tuning? coz I'm only a novice player also but I think the latter talks much about Rhythm Lessons than guitar tuning.

[outlawgal]

I've only been playing for about 3 weeks and found this lesson to be about useless for a number of reasons. It assumes a beginner knows how to read tabs and understands strumming techniques, hammering, etc. Since most of my friends are long-time musicians, I'm familiar with the terminology but still at a stage where I'm not quite getting it from my brain to my hands. This lesson didn't help a bit.

[shredder_01]

yeah im a rythm guitarist, im self taught on creatin rythms but i would have to say i picked up a few tips for sure

[clive_jordan]

this lesson was awful
beginners would be confused and the smoke on the water tab is completely wrong
i could go on but i wont.....

[Terry Wayne]

so far....ive seen 4 different tabs for hells bells...and everyone thinks theres is right.....who gives a damn really?

[jover15]

ASTIG K MAN!!!!your really awful...

[theblackparade9]

i just began and i want to know how to make a song do u know were i could find that?

[nathan.price]

wtf dont post tabs as comments they get screwed up.
shitty lesson...
and he didnt even talk about time sigsor anything important

[people=shi...]

yea this one sucks, i dont think you know the definition of RHYTHM guitar

[metalguru]

i need a SLIPKNOT TAB anyone?!

[Andro Luigi]

GuitarAngelme wrote:

I am a beginner and I have just gotten my guitar. I can't even play it! Do you have a lesson on how to play?

Ei man, its pretty easy to play... Try Beatles... They have the easiest songs to play... You'll be a legend in no time...

[djmay71]

wow...this is an insult...if UG would post my article on rhythm guitar, maybe some people would understand...

[r_selick]

lesson not this is!!!

[r_selick]

Great!! now o know even less

[r_selick]

this was as helpful as a broken leg

[r_selick]

i agree with the last three posts!!!!

[jon rooney1]

that sucked

[jon rooney1]

r_selick :
this was as helpful as a broken leg



haha thats awsome

[volcomdude59]

tht was sick, and yeah, i play rythm and i dont get as much rep as my lead and i sometimes think ours is harder because our hands are constantly moving to different chords and strings while the only time basically the lead moves is during a solo if there is one. (repectively)

[SGibson666]

metalguru wrote:

i need a SLIPKNOT TAB anyone?!

Iowa is real easy http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/s/slipknot/iowa_tab.htm

[SGibson666]

but yeah, i'm a begginer(not a noob, i cn pul-off and hammer-on and yadda yaddda yadda) and this made absolutey no sense. Theres no F string! Thumbs down mate.

[ChrisHecox]

this lesson makes me sad

[Horo]

rhythm as to rhythm, lead as to extra(lead guitar is basically that extra that gives the song an edge)

[naculus]

this lesson is gay. don't listen to this person at all. Cant even play smoke on the water right. Stop teaching if you don't know what your doing! All this is doing is slowing people down.

[Jinchu]

This is, on the whole, a terrible rhythm guitar lesson. I agree with previous commentors that the advice on various tunings and ways to play in those tunings are incorrect. Also, I would like to point out that this lesson does not address the core of what it's supposed to: RHYTHM.

Without using measures and counts to address this issue, all you're doing is tabbing riffs... that's it. If you're not teaching how to KEEP RHYTHM AND TIME, you're defeating the purpose... Go ****ing kill yourself.

[whoisthisguy]

i congratulate you on the effort you put into writing this lesson. but before you post information on the internet (in general not just guitar) make sure the information is right . keep strating

[Das Tier In Mir]

Arguing about Smoke on the Water? Wow. Just wow. How did you get it wrong? It's a simple song if you think about it for like 2 seconds. and I am a Rhythm Guitarist as well. You insult me. No just joking ,man. Just post stuff you actually know about next time.

[Lefty3741]

This lesson sucked. if i had been a beginner i would not have understood it. the smoke on the water tab is wrong but for everyone that keeps saying Hell's Bells is wrong it is not that is actually the way ACDC plays it.

[joe8rulez!]

that was absoulotely useless u moron

[joe8rulez!]

i am a rhythm gutarist but that was shit

[Alu.card]

I'd just like to point out...that Slayer doesn't have a rhytmn guitarist, both Hanneman and King are considered to be both rhytmn and lead, check out angel of death, the "solo-battle" is amazing .

[anghelika]

this is so f*cked up..

[h20rider]

Although I appreciate the effort that was put into this "lesson", it is worse than useless. Rather than convey concepts, it is bound to confuse the intended audience. I couldn't make heads nor tails of much of it, and routinely play rhythm. This "lesson" should be taken down before it does harm.