How To Play Songs On Your Guitar: Learn the Easiest Way to Learn Guitar
Rhythm is a crucial element of all styles of music. Whether you’re talking about rock, blues, bluegrass, jazz, funk, country, folk, or any other style of music, rhythm is what holds everything together. And sometimes - like with reggae and ska, for example - a certain type of rhythm is what defines the style.
Rhythm just might be the most important element of music, actually. But unfortunately, rhythm is also one of the most neglected aspects of guitar playing by new guitarists, especially by new guitarists who play on their own… but if you want to sound authentic when you play songs, rhythm is super-important to develop.
When there’s a drummer (or even just another guitarist) playing along with you, you’ve got someone there to help you keep the beat. But when you’re by yourself, you can “cheat” the rhythm a little. For example, if there’s a difficult chord change, or maybe a hammer-on or pull-off between chords, you may need to slow down to play it correctly, then speed back up when you get past the tough part.
Listen: slowing down is fine when you’re first learning how to play songs on your guitar. I encourage it, actually. If something is hard to play, take your time with it. And don’t rush yourself, because as the old saying goes, haste makes waste. If you get in a rush, you’re more likely to mess up, and if you mess up, you’re more likely to just put your guitar down and quit.
But listen to this, too: if you have to keep slowing down and speeding back up when you play a song, you’re not going to sound your best when you play… and if you speed up and slow down in a jam session, you’ll fall out of sync with the other musicians PDQ.
To sound your best, you have to keep an even rhythm going throughout the whole song. And though it might just sound like one more thing to think about on top of everything else, once you develop your sense of rhythm, everything else - from changing chords to playing killer solos - falls right into place.
Here are a few things you can do to develop a solid sense of rhythm, so you can always sound your best when you play songs. Read and find out the easiest way to learn guitar!
1. Listen to Music You Like
This one sounds like a no-brainer: if you’re learning a song, you have to know how it goes, right? You have to know where the chords change, what the licks sound like, and so on… but you also have to know when those things happen. You have to get a “feel” for the beat. And it’s all about “feeling,” there’s no thinking required here. Don’t think about quarter notes or eighth notes or time signatures or any of that stuff, it’s not important right now. Just turn off your thinking brain for a few minutes and let the music hit your ears. Eventually, there’s going to be a point where you want to tap your foot, or slap your leg, or bob your head or something like that. Right then, right when you find those certain spots in the song where it feels “right” to tap your foot, you’ve found the beat of the song… and you’ve taken the first step toward learning how to play it. Now, if you’re like a lot of people, when you realize you’re bobbing your head, or tapping your foot, or whatever, your natural reaction might be to feel embarrassed… and when you feel embarrassed, you stop. And if you’re out in public, or driving your car down a crowded city street, sure, you might want to go easy on the tapping. :) But don’t lose the beat. And make a habit out of this whenever you listen to music, wherever you are: always listen for the beat. Once you can feel the beat of a song when you listen, you’re ready to get started with your guitar. Pick a song you want to play (you can find hundreds of song lessons here) find a comfortable place to sit and get your guitar out.
Comments
Hello Steve and thank you for all the help, I have a comment./question. I am determined to learn rhythm and have looked at videos you and others offer. One thing that would be helpful would be to show a simple rhythm pattern and then show brief example. You started to when skipping a down strum ("Eagles strum). I find that anything that I am taught sinks in faster and is more fun when I can see the value of what is being taught. Thank You, Raven Vollmer
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