Feeling Rhythm Options

[Ben Higgins]

In order to feel rhythm I think you have to move your body (or part of it) to be able to 'feel' it. Everything has a rhythm. If you observe natural physics at work you'll see rotations, movements.. all sorts of things that have a rhythm and a balance.

I think you can only feel rhythm when you're able to let go of the technique and just allow yourself to move without fear of hitting wrong notes or making a mistake. In my opinion the best way to practise this and experience it as a beginner or intermediate guitarist, is by strumming. Big, confident movements that are not held back or shortened.

Just like a piston completes a whole movement, you should allow some natural momentum and gravity to give you a relaxed but direct down stroke. Don't worry about holding your pick at the same angle all the way through a strumming motion, this will only make you do unnatural, short strumming motions. Let your wrist be loose and, most important of all, don't be afraid of hitting all of the strings. In time, you will hone your aim but for now, just get the feeling of a nice downward strum.

For the upstroke, think of your wrist joint moving back up first and then the pick trailing behind it. So let your strumming be led by a loose and floppy wrist joint, as if you were shaking your hands dry of water.

When you're able to feel the rhythm in your body that way, you have a much greater connection to it and I believe there is nothing in guitar playing so fundamental as this. So, if anybody has troubles with timing and things like that, try strumming and let go of the self consciousness of hitting wrong notes. If you can get over that little hump that might be all you need !

[carminemarotta]

Thanks Ben. How did you know I really needed this suggestions?

Carmine

[Ben Higgins]

Thanks Ben. How did you know I really needed this suggestions?

Carmine

Haha... maybe my mind is locked in with all the thoughts of GMCers... I know where you all are and what you're doing !!

[Todd Simpson]

I've long thought, BEN IS PSYCHIC! Great tip Ben!

Haha... maybe my mind is locked in with all the thoughts of GMCers... I know where you all are and what you're doing !!

[Nihilist1]

Haha... maybe my mind is locked in with all the thoughts of GMCers... I know where you all are and what you're doing !!

... Santa?

[Dieterle]

GOOD ENERGY in person !

[Ben Higgins]

... Santa?

You're definitely not getting any big presents this Xmas !!

[Cosmin Lupu]

Ben has a point here I've always stressed the importance of the body clock! Tick tock tick tock/ I'm jamming with my body clock!

Everyone should focus on being able to maintain a steady rhythm without any rhythmic support but their inner timing sense and groove feeling abilities.

I have a friend (awesome musician and guitarist) who taught me something of great value at one point - learn to jam with yourself!

What exactly did he mean? Well, imagine a chord progression or a riff started out of scratch and developed to such an extent, that a whole improvisational tune was developed around it.

He just tapped his foot to the ground, played the progression or riff and started straying here and there by adding notes, substracting them, changing strong accents and maybe even the time signature or pulse.

After that he started developing melodies complementing the riff/ progression to no end at all.

He has a crazy project with some of our friends in which they make 'music from nothing' That means, they do not rehearse nor prepare something in advance. They just go onstage and start jamming - the nice thing is that they played together for each evening at a show, assuring the jingles and musical background, so they are tight as a tank!

The coherence is stunning and it's really like a musical journey.

I will try to find more recordings of these events, but in the mean time here's one for ya:

[Kalidia]

This is so important Ben! I'm struggling feeling the rhythm and be really precise, i think if you come up with a lesson involving strumming and rhythm many would appreciate it! me in the first place

[Ben Higgins]

This is so important Ben! I'm struggling feeling the rhythm and be really precise, i think if you come up with a lesson involving strumming and rhythm many would appreciate it! me in the first place

That's cool, man. Although don't be shy of looking at Bear Rose's lessons as they mostly involve lots of different strumming rhythms. Don't let the 'Beginner' word put you off !

[carminemarotta]

I agree with Ben. Bear Rose lessons have some tricky rhythms that can be challenging.

Carmine

[Dinaga]

Yes, rhythm playing is not at all trivial! Everyone should pay attention to rhythm and incorporate it in solo parts as well. And I totally agree about movement, it is quite important to feel the groove of the piece!

[Ben Higgins]

And I totally agree about movement, it is quite important to feel the groove of the piece!

I find that feeling the rhythm I also important to me when working on technique too. I feel I can sweep and pick better if there's a string rhythmical pulse I can get into

[thefireball]

Great advice, Ben! Branching off from rhythm playing is riffing. I find myself doing the same kind of patterns I have learned already. There are some patterns that are awesome from other bands. How do I learn to do better riffing that doesn't sound so the same? Is it just learning other songs and modifying them? (I have done that a lot) Or perhaps it's vast knowledge of scales that are the building blocks of the riffing and not just soloing? Anyone can submit answers to this one.

Brandon

[Cosmin Lupu]

Great advice, Ben! Branching off from rhythm playing is riffing. I find myself doing the same kind of patterns I have learned already. There are some patterns that are awesome from other bands. How do I learn to do better riffing that doesn't sound so the same? Is it just learning other songs and modifying them? (I have done that a lot) Or perhaps it's vast knowledge of scales that are the building blocks of the riffing and not just soloing? Anyone can submit answers to this one.

Brandon

I would try listening to rhythmic formulas in other styles of music such as trance/ pop/ rnb/ hip hop/ dancehall/ rave for instance. I have discovered many great ideas and put them to work with both my bands.You can even try traditional music from all around the world and turn it into modern metal it would certainly be a great challenge but in the end, I am sure that the results will only match the level