Keeping Rhythm During Your Solos

Are you a guitar player? That's a start. Do you have trouble keeping your riffs and solos together and on the beat (Or off the beat)? That's what I'm here for. Since I already wrote a lesson on getting the best from your left hand (A.K.A. How to Economically Control Your Fret Hand), I decided to give some tips on rhythm and right hand work.

1. Listen and Learn!

Listen to music relentlessly. Of course this goes for all musicians, guitarists who need help with rhythm need to listen to a certain thing; the drums. If you listen to when the drummer hits the snare, high-hat and bass drum in relation to the song it's a sure-fire way to help your rhythm. Some good artists (with my taste) to check out for this purpose would be A.F.I., Daughtry and/or Dio.

2. Learn all three methods of picking!

A biggie. Downpicking, uppicking and alternate picking are the three different kinds. Downpicking gives you a chunky, separated sound in most cases. uppicking sounds spritely and bright. Alternate picking gives you the advantage of the greatest speed of the three. Some exercises;

Downpicking;

Madhouse
by Anthrax

|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------| Main Riff
|-2-------------------------|
|-2------------7---6--5--4--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0----7--6--5--4-|

Uppicking;

A Major pentatonic scale

|---------------------5-8-5-----------------------|
|-----------------5-8-------8-5-------------------|
|-------------5-7---------------7-5---------------|
|---------5-7-----------------------7-5-----------|
|-----5-7-------------------------------7-5-------|
|-5-8---------------------------------------8-5---|

Alternate Picking;

Knights of Cydonia
by Muse

Tremolo Alternate picking

|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------| X 2 for 2nd intro
|---------------------------------------------|
|-7--5-7-9--7-9-10--12--10-9-10-9-7-6---------|
|---------------------------------------------|

Each one of these exercises helps with a certain type of picking. Become adept at all three types and you'll be better at keeping rhythm with your right hand.

3. Be loose!

I say this in all my lessons because it is one of the most crucial points in guitar playing. If you get too tense, you'll screw up. Don't think too hard about where your fingers go. Be careful, but don't go overboard with it. You'll end up with sloppy playing and an audience who wants their money back.

Comments

[Wolffgang]

Interesting lesson, nice and short. I agree that some people don't give enough attention to the physical process of generating the note; I know I don't sometimes.

Also, I'm pretty sure that's the A Minor pent, not the A Major; A Major wouldn't start with a minor 3rd.

[Junkanoova]

Pretty Good, but I'm with Wolfgang, It's an A Minor Pentatonic.

[kevinm4435]

hey, metronome?

[pigeonmafia]

More of a lesson about picking than rythm.

And, as has been said. That's the A minor pent, not A major

[JohnMayer4Mayor]

Wolffgang wrote:

Interesting lesson, nice and short. I agree that some people don't give enough attention to the physical process of generating the note; I know I don't sometimes.

ok ill change it

Also, I'm pretty sure that's the A Minor pent, not the A Major; A Major wouldn't start with a minor 3rd.

Junkanoova wrote:

Pretty Good, but I'm with Wolfgang, It's an A Minor Pentatonic.

kevinm4435 wrote:

hey, metronome?

pigeonmafia wrote:

More of a lesson about picking than rythm.

And, as has been said. That's the A minor pent, not A major

[JohnMayer4Mayor]

please dont rate this article bad because i minamed the scale im sorry!

[metalcore123]

uppicking? wtf?

[Shinrizzle]

Really liked it, anyone no where i can learn more about scales???