If you ever want to jam rhythm and lead guitar at the same time, here’s a tip to help.
I’ll talk about it in the context of blues as that’s what I’ve been on about this week (but this tip can work for anything).
It’s all about:
“Mixing and matching rhythms”
In blues guitar, most rhythms are based around steady eighth notes.
…But what sounds awesome is when you play the rhythm and every now and then throw in some faster rhythmic riffs and lead licks.
Most of the time in blues, these faster ideas tend to be played as “triplets” but…
The point here is not about which exact rhythms are being used, but it’s to highlight a key thing.
…So much of music is about rhythm.
It’s about keeping the rhythm tight, which is something all beginners should aim to do.
…And once you can do this, if you want to take your playing to a more exciting and intermediate level…
Mixing and matching rhythms is key.
E.g. varying rhythms between eighth notes and triplets.
…Or strumming using quarter notes and sixteenth notes.
That’s why I recommend you tap your feet when you play, jam with others, and play to backing tracks.
These things will help you to keep the rhythm tight as you jam more and more exciting ideas.
Anyway, if none of this makes all that much sense, you might want to hear what I’m talking about.
On the link below is the page for my blues course and at the top of the page, there’s an audio example of what you can learn inside.
Have a listen, and hopefully, it will inspire you to mix and match rhythms as you play.
It’s a whole lotta fun.
Listen to how to mix and match rhythms with this 12-Bar Blues Mini Masterclass
Enjoy your Friday!
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.
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