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Are you Rhythm, Lead, or Both?


BiC

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I am mainly a rhythm player. I dabbled with drums before I picked up the guitar. So, I always had this innate rhythm within. :)

 

However, I am very much interested in picking up lead. I do a lot of finger picking, so I believe this will be to my advantage once I begin to learn lead.

 

Peace :thu:

"Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7

 

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I am a lead player who got bitten by the rhythm bug. Years ago, when I heard Robben Ford, I picked up a lot of what he did as a soloist, but even more I started to pay attention to rhythm guitar. Before that, my rhythm vocabulary was limited to hard rock kind of things. But hey, nothing wrong with that, either!
Everybody knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact. - Homer Simpson
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Rhythm is where it all begins. I don't think anyone can be a lead player without being a rhythm player as well, or first.

 

I used to think "All for the solo"...but, if for some reason, I was to feel that the song wouldn't be as strong if I was to stop chugging chords, I wouldn't think twice about chucking the solo and just chugging chords.

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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I find myself mainly being a rhythm player, though I do get pushed into lead at times. It seems that here in WNY, rhythm players are becoming extinct. So when one attends a jam and fellow players discover that you can more than hold your own covering the rhythm, you get the job. (even when the supposed leads are terrible...) Oh well.....
And as always...remember...This is just my road weary opinion.
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I've never been very comfortable with the concept of being called a rhythm or lead guitarist. When I played in a country band, the singer always introduced me as his "lead player". :freak: I always felt weird about this because I was playing rhythm 95% of the time.

 

:)

So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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i do rhythum and lead. but lately i don't have a lot of desire to play lead. i usually look for a melody to play. i prefer playing over a chord heavy progression as opposed to a static riff. i am a way better rhythum player than lead anyway. i like looking at ways to sweeten up a progression through chord inversions and motifs i can weave in the mix. man the options are endless. rhythum can be so deep. look at townsend and vanhalen . those guys hooked everyone with RHYTHUM. players that i admire are usually wicked rhythum players. Vanhalen, Gibbons, Hendrix and the boys from AC/DC . i know Malcom does the lions share of rhythum but Angus knows how to play off his bro. the list goes on. :thu:
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Heh, I don't really consider myself a guitar player. I feel like I'm one that just has the ability to accompany, on guitar, my vocals.

 

But, with my situation being primarily a solo performer I kinda combine the two, playing lots of chording and throwing in some very basic picking.

 

When I do play with the band it's rhythm & nothin' but rhythm.

 

Our Joint

 

"When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke...

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I'm also primarily a riddum feller, though when I feel "inspired" I've been known to throw down some lead playing, as well.

 

I hate being put on the spot when I don't feel like it, though, like at some open-mic-night-jam affair where somebody yells out your name, "-take it away!" :freak: And there you are before God'n'everybody, out on a limb, totally unprepared, and you've gotta deliver quicker-than-quick... makes for some real sink-or-swim moments, sometimes funny, sometimes embarrassing, and sometimes you surprise yourself and pull one Hell of a rabbit outta that size 7&1/2... (Remember Bullwinkle?)

 

Actually, my fingerstyle approach is sorta almost a "rhythm and lead" combo platter, what with plucking chords, little licks, slides, double-stops, bends, etc. all going on when and where needed. But, I don't do a lot of "solo/lead" playing.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I'm actually more of a noodler. :D

 

I like to play rythym with the occasional lick or two thrown in, but I've been playing longer than my friends and can play some really cool lead stuff too, so I get elected to do the leads. :rolleyes:

BlueStrat

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...Better fuzz through science...

 

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I learned pretty much like you, BiC... started off playing rhythm (on acoustic), proceeded to finger picking and then to electric, on which I eventually learned to solo. I agree that the rhythm/finger picking thing is a GREAT foundation - I think if you start off playing nothing but solos and learning a few chords, your solos can end up being really uninteresting because they lack any grounding in rhythm (or the song).

 

To this day I don't consider myself a "lead" or "rhythm" guitarist - I just try to do whatever goes with the song and the other players. My solos tend to be phrasing-oriented and often double-stringed or chordal, and my rhythm parts are rarely just strumming chords, they have riffs or passing notes or something usually. The whole single-note solo vs. rhythm guy strumming chords always seemed too rigid to me. 'Course, these days I'm in a three-piece so I'm the ONLY guitarist, so I guess it's a moot point for me!

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I'm pretty much a rhythm player and lead wannabee :D

 

Starting in Folk really led me to play rhythm. I play a few (literally) lead parts, notably "Walk Don't Run" and "Night Train" as by The Ventures, a coupla others.

 

I always wanted to play lead because lead players are "better". I'm coming to realize that that may or may not be true, but in any case, the rhythm lays down the upper ranges of the base of the song, like the drums and bass do the lower ranges. It, like ALL other parts, is indispensable to a "good" song. :cool:

 

I need to learn to be happy with what I can do. :rolleyes:

 

Dave

Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need".
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Originally posted by The Tedster From The Black Lagoon:

Rhythm is where it all begins. I don't think anyone can be a lead player without being a rhythm player as well, or first.

 

I used to think "All for the solo"...but, if for some reason, I was to feel that the song wouldn't be as strong if I was to stop chugging chords, I wouldn't think twice about chucking the solo and just chugging chords.

Hmm... This may be a part of my problem. I've never focused on the rythm thing. I've almost always "transcribed" solos, or learnt songs with melodic guitar lines.

 

I NEED to practise the rythm thing A LOT. Don't get me wrong, I think my time is pretty good, it's just that I'm not at all used to playing the rythm guitar in a band.

-Joachim Dyndale

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Einstein: The difference between genius and stupidity is: Genius has limits

 

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I'm a lead player at heart. I can play rhythm, but not that well. I'm trying to improve (aren't we all?), but its coming along slowly. I do think both are equally important, but sometimes, it just works better for one guy to do the other thing. That's why I hire a plumber for my clogged sewer and he doesn't try to cook dinner for me either.
Shut up and play.
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I taught myself to play by learning tabs about 12+ years ago, but mostly just dabbled with intro riffs and the solos, consequently ended up able to play fast lead lines but barely able to string 2 chords together?!? Fell out of it and hardly played for a few years then got back into it a couple of years ago and took some lessons, mainly to improve my rythm playing then joined my first band earlier this year.

 

Think I'm lot more well rounded now, but it's a long way round to learn the instrument ;) In my band I'm usually referred to as the lead guitarist and the singer (also plays guitar) as the rythm guitarist as I take all of the solos, but I do play rythm most of the time?!?

 

Just guitarist seems a lot easier to me :P

Fa Fa FA Fa fa fa fa fa FA fa FA FA
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Any picker worth their salt is both. I'd never want to be the LEAD GUITAR PLAYER though.....I wouldn't mind slide player....but that term conjures up visions of spandex and big hair! :)
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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Originally posted by Norman Geinard Bates:

Any picker worth their salt is both. I'd never want to be the LEAD GUITAR PLAYER though.....I wouldn't mind slide player....but that term conjures up visions of spandex and big hair! :)

Mmmm, spandex :cool:

 

I'm 8 years too late for the hair tho

:( <- I'm catching up with this guy!!! :D

Fa Fa FA Fa fa fa fa fa FA fa FA FA
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my comping definitely needs work. I can pull off some nice things on lead, even over chord changes but if I switch off with someone who`s really good with rhythm, I can`t give them the same dense, inversion-laden soundstage-I`m working on it though. If I plan something in advance I can play good rhythm, it`s improvisation that kills me, at this point.

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

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Robben Ford, in a seminar he gave nearly a year ago, said he thought that one of the most misleading ideas in the music world was this notion of being a "rhythm" or a "lead" player. A complete guitarist should be able to play all roles in an ensemble.
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yes indeed. BTW, my guitar teacher got me started on finger picking, I like it a lot-but I have no clue about counterpoint. That is, playing bass and treble in contrasting rhythms. I am in awe of people who can do that.

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

Skipsounds on Soundclick:

www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491

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I would consider myself both lead and rhythm, as well as both electric and acoustic (perhaps there should be a separate thread for that--but anyhow!). In my early musical years (late 70's and early 80's) I thought of myself mainly as lead, but back then I also thought of myself a lot, and I sought my own way and will a lot (in other words, I was rather selfish and self-centered). Now that I'm older, and also as I have grown as a Christian and consequently learned to think more of others, to see the whole picture instead of just my part of it, and to desire to give God the glory rather than seek attention for myself, my attitude regarding my musicianship has correspondingly changed. Instead of trying to show off my guitar prowess (such as it is), I am more interested in my guitar positively contributing to the overall song, to join with the other instrumentalists in conveying the message of the song as well as to bring enjoyment to the one who might be listening to it. Of course I still enjoy "cranking it up," but I also enjoy lending support to others as they "crank it up." Anyhow, I do believe that it is important for a musician to be as well-rounded, and balanced, as possible.

Robert J. ("Bob") Welch III

 

"If you were the only person who ever lived, God still would have sent Jesus His only Son to die on the cross for YOU, because that is how much HE LOVES YOU!"

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I guess people think of rhythm players as not being as technically skilled, when of course thats not the case. One of the things I've always admired is when a guitarist can take a simple song and make it sound great....without overplaying, just little nuances that accent the whole without detracting from the whole. Lots of people can play simple music, but not many can make it sound great. Just my observation. :)
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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