Rhythm troubles

Hi Number6 and Welcome to GuitarNoise.

I don't know if this will help you, but I find the secret to keeping good time is to dance with the music. Even when playing guitar I just let the music get into me and move with it. I bob my head, strut around, tap my feet... Really I am dancing. And it feels good.

And really that is all there is to it. Just let the music get inside you and move with it.

A good example of this would be Angus Young of AC/DC. If you have ever seen him he is non-stop action. He is all over the stage. The way he bobs his head up and down I'm surprised he's never had a spinal injury. :D

Angus is not doing that for show. He is just getting into the music. As my old bass player Leroy used to say, "You gotta get the groove!"

Have you ever seen Chuck Berry strut with his guitar? He is just dancing.

And timing is not something you have to think about or concentrate on. It is really just the opposite. Relax, go with the flow. Quit thinking about it and go with the feeling music gives you.

Once you get the beat inside of you, you really can't help but keep good time.

And strumming a guitar is the same. Play with feeling. Put inflection into your strums.

Dance on them strings. 8)

I hope this helps a little.

Wes

What has helped me the most has been a drum machine. I also have a metronome, but found that the simple clicks didn't do much for me and they often got drowned out. I picked up a cheap Digitech effects processor and love it!

Thanks, but I'm still having trouble. Anyone else have some suggestions?

Practice songs you know. That way you already KNOW the rhythm and can get an easier feel for it. Once that feel comfortable carry it over to something new.

John Fogerty said on CMT's Crossroads..."You'll NEVER know how things are done unless you play cover tunes." He also said he was in a cover band for TEN years before CCR.

I have to agree with Wes I find myself doing the same things. As a matter of fact I am currently working on an AC/DC song "Shook me all night" and I find I get into it more when I'm standing up bopping around. Not sure if it translates into better rhythm but it probably does.

And Wes, I hear your pretty fly for a white guy!!

Wes,

Very interesting .. I was watching American Masters about Ray Charles last night, and one of the people talking about him commented that "his every move has a purpose. When he is moving his head from side to side, that is to keep time". They talked quite a bit about how Ray Charles would play songs at a very slow tempo, and it was difficult for other musicians to keep time. And when I look at how he plays, it does look like he is DANCING sitting at the piano!

I will try to incorporate this into my playing, rhythm is one of my main issues too..

(And I am getting a drum machine as part of a multi-effects pedal that I just won over on ebay. Actually, I find that I have a harder time with a drum machine when I go for my lessons, because it mixes things up. But a drum is ultimately what I have to play with, not a metronome :-))

There is no trick to rhythm; it is something that takes time and effort to develop. You need a certain amount of confidence in your skills with the guitar. You need to be comfortable playing. For me it was like a light switch being turned on, one day I noticed I had it. That came after about six months of practicing. I'm probably slower than most :lol:

You just have to power through it and trust that it will come.

One thing that helped me was to forget about myleft hand on the frets and force myself to strum in time, whether the chord was in place or not (I had a bad habit of stopping if it wasn't). It took effort, but I am seeing much improvement in my strumming and all.

There is a great strumming lesson on these forums that really helped me, too.

Playing along with CDs and playing drums in school, as well in a band (which was COUNTLESS hours of keeping time with other players) was probably the best thing I could've done for my rhythm playing, nowadays I feel like I have pretty good time.

You don't have to go out and buy a drum kit or anything, I just think playing along with CDs and other players is probably the best thing to do. Even learning how to read standard music notation will probably help you out, even if you just learn how to read the rhythms it will help you out alot.

good replies all.
I like SteveO's post because it is similar to my approach (when I was a young player).
I spent countless hours having fun playing along with CDs.
also, listen too. put a CD on and just focus on the rythm played. it will help.

the result will give you a handle on rythm styles, etc.
it didnt happen over night, but it will happen.
it's important to stay relaxed. I noticed that I used to tense up a lot.

now I am relaxed and the drummers I play with say, "man, youve got a great sense of rythm".

wow, drummers complimenting guitar players.

dont beat yourself up . just keep at it.

disclaimer...some people have an ear for tuning othes dont.
it would be the same for rythm too. some are huge some are adequate.

you are probably doing fine.