Any tips on developing a solid rhythm


Christopher James
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Joined: 01/17/13
Posts: 10
Christopher James
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Joined: 01/17/13
Posts: 10
09/14/2021 2:08 am

I realize this may be a silly kind of question that may seem so obvious to more experienced guitarists out there but my rhythm is a little off.

I have enjoyed my membership on this site, completed guitar fundamentals 1 and 2 and now I can actually play a dozen songs and sing and play too people are saying wow your good when I know (because they're not trained musicians) that sorry I'm really not yet lol....but...I didn't really realize that guitar playing is as much as 80% rhythm and one must have developed their rhythm solidly as hell.

Without it, it really separates the men from the boys....so to speak. I wondered what the heck do I need do.

I heard everything like always practicing with a metronome...have an idea perhaps just at the end of the day its all comes down to just more practice?

......if anyone out there has an idea... what would they suggest?

Do I need always practice with a metronome?

Go back to doing fundamentals 1 and 2 all over again?

Sing along while playing?

Hum while playing?

Always get in the habit of tapping my foot?

Visualize the beat going on and off like a light?

Get a backing track and try to follow along one basic song trying and trying to get the rhythm chops better and better?

Strum my guitar in time with the metronome clicks for hours days weeks more regularly until I develop a sense of timing?


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
09/14/2021 11:12 am
Originally Posted by: csnu5

I realize this may be a silly kind of question that may seem so obvious to more experienced guitarists out there but my rhythm is a little off.[/quote]

That's a good, honest observation. Being able to stay in time while learning & practicing gradually more complex musical content is one of the biggest challenges in learning to play.

Originally Posted by: csnu5...I didn't really realize that guitar playing is as much as 80% rhythm and one must have developed their rhythm solidly as hell.[/quote]

And it's baked into every aspect of playing: strumming chords, changing chords, playing melodies, playing leads. Everything has to be done in rhythm, on time.

Originally Posted by: csnu5I heard everything like always practicing with a metronome...have an idea perhaps just at the end of the day its all comes down to just more practice?[/quote]

Yes. Use a metronome, use a backing track, play with a good drummer. Play a lot. Any & all of these are what is required to improve your timing.

Originally Posted by: csnu5Do I need always practice with a metronome?

If you don't have any other means of gauging your timing, yes.

[quote=csnu5]Go back to doing fundamentals 1 and 2 all over again?

Only if you think you missed something important, or you could use the play along songs to measure improvement in your timing.

[quote=csnu5]Sing along while playing?

Hum while playing?

Always get in the habit of tapping my foot?

I'm not sure adding another task is going to help, if that task is not somehow solidly in time (like a metrnome or backing track).

[quote=csnu5]Get a backing track and try to follow along one basic song trying and trying to get the rhythm chops better and better?

Strum my guitar in time with the metronome clicks for hours days weeks more regularly until I develop a sense of timing?

Yes, yes, yes. :)

It helps that you are aware of the problem in the first place. Some students aren't. That is itself an achivement. Well done! Now you know it needs work & you are willing to do it!

Best of success!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
DraconusJLM
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Joined: 06/21/21
Posts: 360
DraconusJLM
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Joined: 06/21/21
Posts: 360
09/15/2021 9:03 am

Another thing I find useful is tapping along with the tempo to songs whenever I listen to music. Just the 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, etc. (assuming it's written in 4/4, otherwise it's 1-2-3, 1-2-3 or whatever); I find this also helps reinforce a sense of timing.

In most cases, I think it's something that comes with making the effort (but make sure you relax while playing along to a metronome or you could turn into a boring player who sounds like a robot - I know two such players, both technically brilliant, but so dull to listen to).


I wish this forum had a "block user" feature. Possibly I'm not the only one......

# 3
stacykhuffman
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Joined: 06/06/21
Posts: 8
stacykhuffman
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Joined: 06/06/21
Posts: 8
09/15/2021 5:22 pm

I am going to start by saying SAME HERE! A month ago I felt so rhythm challenged I thought I might be hopeless at first.

However I am determined to play guitar. So my only choice was to keep going.

I started practicing with a very slow metronome on my phone. It was painful but it gave me a start. When that got too boring I switch back to playing along with the instructor over and over again at a slow pace until I could hit every note exactly in time with hers and it sounded like one guitar. The exciting thing is that I have definitely improved! I still have a ways to go and I'm continuing to up the speed but wanted to share my experience. It does come with time. I even go shoulder soreness and I realized part of it was building strumming muscle. :) So I suggest going back and playing earlier songs. If you're hitting every note in time then you've got it! Best of luck!

Oh yeah. Count out loud too. Even practice counting outloud with a metronome and no guitar to train your pace.


# 4
JeffS65
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Joined: 10/07/08
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JeffS65
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Joined: 10/07/08
Posts: 1,602
09/17/2021 8:14 pm

I will add, and it's not an insiginificant point; play along with songs. Chris mentioned this too and I will expand.

In essence, this is the primary way to learn solid rhythm. All other things in this thread are true and very useful but the thing with rhythm is that you don't just learn a pattern like a one-size-fits-all deal. Your ear and mind know this. However, by learning songs, you're building vocabularies. Much like learning to speak or learning a new word or phrase, it builds in something new.

But you have to start.

What you learn as time passes is that there are certain things are common in lots of rhythm playing. Not the same or that there are a group of trick to get you there. However, you'll notice the swing of rhythms have similarities that help build that rhythm vocabulary.

Songs do that for you. Take on a level you are comfortable with but still, start getting in to the swing of songs. Like Chris said, practice with whatever you have but as a GT member, you've got a lot of songs to use.


# 5

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