by Nathan Hook

Created on: December 03, 2007

Many people starting to play guitar want to be able to move quickly into fast finger work and the skills associated with lead guitar. This might work for some people, but learning the art of rhythm guitar can be highly beneficial to lead guitar work.

Musically lead guitar actually fits closely with the major chords within a song, or as I recall Eric Johnson saying in an instructional video, the lead notes in a solo will follow the obvious or implied chord structure within the song. Understanding this from a musical stand point is going to be highly beneficial to anyone writing their own songs, or performing with a band. The work between a lead guitarist and the rhythm guitarist has to be very tight, especially in improvisational work, as the lead needs to know that the rhythm guitarist is going to be spot on. Thus, learning to play rhythm will help you with your lead work in understanding the job of others around you...no one wants to play with a lead guitarist who goes off on random solo's without a thought for the way music works or the job of the rest of the band.

In terms of actually learning to play the guitar, learning to play rhythm will aid you in your lead. How? Firstly, learning to play chords is going to help you with your finger strength, especially if you use an acoustic with good steel strings. The callouses will become nice and thick on the ends of your fingers and the repetition of holding down the chords whilst strumming will quickly strengthen which ever hand you use. If you throw in some jazz chords, your fingers will be in knots; don't think it won't help build finger speed either.

Whilst your fingers and left (or right) hand is being strengthened, strumming is going to help loosen your other wrist, as flexibility and co-ordination are crucial to playing good rhythm, as it is for good lead. Ever tried to play Pin Ball Wizard on the acoustic? Many back ground rhythm techniques are extremely complicated, and while many people over look the guy on rhythm, the guy doing the strumming performs an important part of keeping the band together. It can also be a part of the percussion element and in a song like Pin Ball Wizard, the strumming is no beginner lick. It's ironic that they mention the pin ball wizard having such a supple wrist, if you listen to it carefully there is multiple strumming within the overall pattern of playing, it's brilliant.

Many of the top bands in the world have good rhythm techniques that are born from a different era. Listening to some early Dire Straits, David and Mark Knopfler borrow old 50's style rhythm techniques, such as in Down to the Water Line in their first album, and pretty much any of the songs from the second album. Again, these rhythm techniques are not easy to master, but they make the song.

Many lead guitarists use two string lead, part chords, or semi-chords, to add variety to their single note playing. Jimmy Hendrix was an absolute master of this as is the formally mentioned Eric Johnson, who borrows heavily from a large number of guitarists to create his own sound.

What ever you decide to start with, you will find yourself drawn to elements of both styles to gain more from your instrument. The main thing is, keep practicing and have fun.

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