Hi, how're you doing?
Justin here with another quick tip for you,
and today it's all about rhythm.
Now, rhythm is one of those things that I think guitar players often neglect,
spending far too much time on scales and chords
and, you know, worrying a lot about notes,
whereas rhythm is actually possibly
MORE important than the notes that you're playing.
Well, possibly.
I think it is actually more important than the notes you're playing.
Let's just think about it for a second.
Now, rhythm has been around with us for thousands of years,
since we were making tools out of stones, you know, putting sticks and stones,
clinking 'em together, dancing around, having a rhythm.
Sure, some people might have sung some melodies and stuff,
but it was the beat that got people dancing.
That was the important part,
and that's been with us for thousands of years.
If we think about harmony, like our major and minor
and chords in a key, and that sort of stuff;
two hundred years.
Hardly any time at all. Maybe a little bit longer, but not much.
So, really, rhythm is kind of in our species.
We've evolved this way, with a feeling of rhythm.
We've got a heartbeat that's with us all the time.
Rhythm is just part of us.
So, it doesn't make really much sense
when you're thinking about music as being rhythm and melody,
which is what the two elements are that make up music
to spend loads of time thinking about your scales and your notes
and your chords and all that stuff and not paying enough attention to rhythm.
And it's really amazing how important rhythm can be.
If you've got somebody who's playing great rhythm
and only knows a few chords, they'll get the party started.
Absolutely, if somebody's got that rhythm and it's just rockin' along,
Even if they're not...you know, they might only know two or three chords
they'll get the whole party singing along,
whereas the other guy who's got all of this fancy kind of rock stuff down
and can whittle away in the corner, he's not going to have much of an audience.
You know, it's really a big deal.
Also important, and I can just demonstrate this for you
because it's kind of fun.
If I play a few chords, but I muff the chords up a little bit-
I'm just gonna play like G, D, Am, G D C kind of vibe-
but if I get some of the chords a little bit wrong
or don't get to them in time,
but I keep my rhythm okay, it sounds fine.
So, if we have a G D G Am G (mistake)
C (mistake) G (mistake) Am
That doesn't sound great, right?
I'd be disappointed if I had heard that in a concert,
but you can feel that the musicality of it is still there.
But listen to what happens if I muck the RHYTHM up,
if I get the chords right and make the rhythm go a bit wonky.
(Same chord pattern as before, but broken and choppy.)
Just sounds not musical, right? It just sounds like...wrong.
As soon as that rhythm gets tidied up, for instance, here:
Wrong...(Rhythm improves.)
Ah, now we're going somewhere! ,
As soon as that rhythm started it's okay; everything makes sense.
And if you stop, as long as your keep your time,
it's okay.
If the chord goes really, horribly wrong (sour chord)
doesn't really matter. It's fine! We're okay.
You could go REALLY wrong- (extra sour chord)
but if somebody's kind of moving along and they're in time with you
and it goes a bit wrong, as long as you keep your rhythm
it's gonna be okay.
It's REALLY important, rhythm.
You know, when you think about those guys, like B.B. King,
that can do whole solos with two or three notes:
they've only got two or three notes!
So what could it be that they're utilizing to make their solos great?
The RHYTHM! It's all they've got if there's only two or three notes.
They're not just playing the same three notes over and over again,
that would bore anyone.
Again, it's the way that they're playing; it's their rhythm.
And not just like mathematically what the rhythm is they're playing,
it's their FEELING of the rhythm.
And rhythm's like that it's not just mathematical.
You have to learn that,
but then you've gotta try and find the way that the rhythm feels nice.
It's not just about the tech- you know, the technical divisions of a bar.
It goes a little bit beyond that.
Sure, you have to get the technical part right first,
but the really big deal is to remember
that it's ALL ABOUT RHYTHM.
See you for lots more very soon.
Take care. Bye-bye.