Help with learning rhythm

[jtindle]

I'm a poorly self taught guitar player that has trouble learning rhythm. Is there any online sources that will help me learn what all the time signitures are and how to strum with them?

Thanks

Jeff

[abovethewave]

there are loads if you google the topic. A couple I used to use were Line 6 Guitar Port, also Guitar Tricks dot Com.

However today there is so much on YouTube that I just start there.

[abovethewave]

oh, I forgot one. If you are really serious about it, check out BerkleeMusic.com. There is sophisticated course work in there. You will need some prowess with your fundamental hand mechanics tho.

[CrazyFingers]

Although not an on-line resource, Tomo Fujita's "Accelerate Your Guitar Playing" DVD has a great set of exercises for developing picking and strumming rhythm techniques.

Good Luck.

[dorfmeister]

A good metronome would be really helpful, too.

[dave s]

What kind of rhythm playing are you having trouble with? Lots of different styles out there. Problems with meter? Problems with up/down stuff? Problems changing chords accurately? Lots of areas to discuss and improve on.

dave

[spacelord]

I would recommend Accelerate Your Guitar Playing too..
If you like Hard Rock/Metal.. you might like the Troy Stetina Rhythm Guitar books.. vol 1 and 2. They come with a CD. I've found them useful for my needs so far.

[jtindle]

What kind of rhythm playing are you having trouble with? Lots of different styles out there. Problems with meter? Problems with up/down stuff? Problems changing chords accurately? Lots of areas to discuss and improve on.

dave

I don't know the difference between a 4/4 time and 3/4 or any others. Seems I will try to play along with some songs and I will have trouble keeping the rhythm. I need a good website that shows different time sigs and such. I play praise and worship music in church. So I would call it pop rock.

Thanks

Jeff

[GtrWiz]

Get some drum books, http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/b.gif Progressive Steps to Syncopation by Ted Reed, and Polyrhythms by Pete Magadini.

[dave s]

I don't know the difference between a 4/4 time and 3/4 or any others. Seems I will try to play along with some songs and I will have trouble keeping the rhythm. I need a good website that shows different time sigs and such. I play praise and worship music in church. So I would call it pop rock.

Thanks

Jeff

Jeff:

Something that might help you, and I've recommended this to folks over the years, is to get a copy of the Eagles Greatest Hits VOL 1. Most of the songs are written with 1st position (cowboy chords, if you will) chords. Most of the material is very predictable and provides a lot of opportunity to practice your rhythm playing.

Work through some of the easier songs, writing down the chord changes. Put in the CD and play along. Enjoy. Shouldn't be too difficult.

dave

[GtrWiz]

I misread the original post, Polyrhythms, would be too advanced, but the Syncopation book starts very simple with quarter and eighth notes...

[Ken Ho]

I don't know the difference between a 4/4 time and 3/4 or any others. Seems I will try to play along with some songs and I will have trouble keeping the rhythm. I need a good website that shows different time sigs and such. I play praise and worship music in church. So I would call it pop rock.

Thanks

Jeff

Time sigs are like simple math.
4/4 means there are 4 (the top one) 1/4 notes per bar.
So when you look at a bar of music, the variuos fractions of the 1/4 noptes, which include 1/2, 1/8, 1/16 and whole notes, as well as dotted notes all need to add up to 1 (4/4 = 1). Grace notes, which are notated as litel notes, are played, but not counted when counting the beats up, they are just knida jammed in.

In 3/4, they all need to add up to 3/4. This is hard to explain here. The suggestion above about buying a beginners drum book is a very good one, because they go through all this in detail there, the focus being on rhythm.

Using a metronome and practicing a basic down, up, down, up strum pattern is teh best way to get strated with solid rhythm playing.

[Mike T]

4/4
----
4 : beats per measure
/
4 : this "4" stands for "quarter note" and it gets 1 beat
so 4/4 means there are 4 quarter notes per measure


3/4
----
3 : beats per measure
/
4 : this "4" stands for "quarter note" and it gets 1 beat
so 3/4 means there are 3 quarter notes per measure

[TaZMaNiO]

I focused on lead playing for the first 20 years of playing, but once I got into rhythym playing I never went back!

P.S. It also helped my lead playing by putting some "swing" into it ;)

[jtindle]

Thanks Guys. I'll look into some of your recommendations. I'll start with the Eagle's since I have the CD.

Thanks

Jeff