Rythm problems


Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/18/2008 6:24 am
Since I started guitar, my main focus has been shred, learning new techniques and all that, so I focus on scales and whatnot, but in all that time I have neglected rythm techniques and whatnot. The basis for all rythm is chords of course to which my knowledge is minimal. I understand that a root note, third, and fifth makes a major chord, and that shifting the third half a step makes it minor. But how does one go about using chords to form solid catchy rythms? Another problem I ran into is consitancy. I can never keep a rythm consistant and this proves especially taxing when recording. Are there any settings as far as gain and volume, and which pickup to use to get the cleanest and best tone possible?
# 1
BrokenJera
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BrokenJera
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05/18/2008 7:22 am
if you want to improve your chord knowledge for metal youll still need to do a lot of work.


im not sure where to find the info on this site because im taking lessons from a teacher and i dont want to overly confuse my self but its still a great resource to be on this site.

for your chords you need to know:
all the barre chords ( maj min dom7 maj7 min7 and all the other alphabit soup.)
the triad chords (same alphabit soup) rooted on all 6 strings.
and the chord types for all keys.

you get a break on most of the chords since the are moving shapes on the same root string. so you need to learn a shape rather than 12 chords. next you really need to know every note on the finger board so youll know how to move the chords. practice all your scales but rather then just burning through them say the note your playing.

to imporve the overall melody or harmony of your playing you need to learn the circle of fifths. its hard to get/understand at first but it helps alot in understanding which chords to use to create the sound you want.

the other thing as a rythum guitar player you need to learn how to drop a root and which roots not the drop. if you have a second guitar and a bass guitar all playing the same not the sound waves can become cluttered and will make you sound terrible.

what do you mean you can keep a consistant rythum? are you talking about volume? or your 'beats'? to help with volume you might get a compressor that will keep the volume pretty close to the same even on soft parts. for your beats you should use a metronome/ beat machine and practice hard to get good at it. as for what pickup which one do you want to use?
They say the END is near, but I'm Tired of waiting.
# 2
light487
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light487
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05/18/2008 7:51 am
The most important thing you can do when practising any music, especially rhythm on guitar, is playing with a metronome or drum track (I prefer a drum track). Without a doubt, playing along with a drum track has improved my consistency, timing and general rhythm skills immensely. It's one thing to know which chords to play.. it's another to play them well and in time. A metronome is a boring way to practise I think.. but if that's all you have available, then you should use it!

For metal/shredding style of playing, you should scoop most (if not all) the mid-range out of your amp's eq settings... the hi-frequency end is where you mostly want to be with metal rhythm guitar but of course without some mid-range and a fair amount of bass, you are going to sound tinny. Also, most people prefer to use the bridge pickup as it lends more hi-definition response to the sound.. that is, it is less muddy.. and because you are playing distorted.. the last thing you want is to sound muddy..

When I am playing metal tracks, I tend to use 2-string power chords rather than full 3 or more string chords. I find that, unless I have the perfect EQ setup, the other strings just confuse the sound more than they help define the song. Since power chords are neither Major nor minor, you will need to use other instruments and chord progressions to help define the overall feel of the piece.. whether it is happy or sad (to put it simply).
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# 3
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/18/2008 6:37 pm
That's exactly what I needed to know guys, thanks for the advice!
# 4
Superhuman
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Superhuman
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05/19/2008 1:22 pm
Hey there,
Practice playing to a drum machine or drum plug-in - it makes such a huge difference, much better than a metronome because you can add hi-hats & double bass etc between 'blips', syncopate your rhythms and do break beats etc.
The key to being able to play a kickass rhythm tightly is to know the rhythm in your head exactly before you try to play it. Sounds stupid but most people lose the rhythm because they lose the 'feel'. Try tapping the strumming/chopping out with two fingers (this works especially well because it imitates up down alternate picking). Before I started doing this I used to end up playing every bar a little different and the rhythm would go out all over the place.
One last tip, if you are playing a basic riff that repeats over and over, spice it up by changing every fourth bar (if its 4/4 time) - you can take this up a level by having rhythmic changes between these fourth bars to give a more interesting interplay. This really takes the monotony off a track that has very few riffs.
Basically, if you can't drum the rhythm exactly with 2 fingers on your picking hand then you need to re-examine the sequence and work out exactly what you want to play. The actual rhythm is the most important foundation to a great riff. The fretting hand movements are secondary to this. That's why I always suggest practicing metal riffs on either an open power chord or a riff with very few changes when either starting out or looking to advanced rhythms. For example, even if a riff has 20 different notes and plays over 4 strings, I will still practice the exact rhythm on one string to make sure I know what I'm doing before bringing in the fretting hand.
One last thing, palm muting on and off is extremely important - the best way to practice is trying those galloping rhythms and syncopated off beats.
Hope that helps!


PS..... everyone spells the word wrong, you included! :)
# 5
ZakJenkins
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ZakJenkins
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05/19/2008 7:10 pm
A good rhythm exercise I've come to love is sitting down with a book or newspaper, reading a sentence and noticing the rhythm and intonation the words get, and then repeating that.

It's helped me with catchy rhythms a lot.
# 6
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/19/2008 7:14 pm
Hahaha thanks man, that's realy good advice, I appreciate it! I shall give it a go and see what happens! I'm thinking about making a one man band in the vain of Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, (old) Anathema, Anvil, and Kiss..all of which have rythms that arent to terribly hard so it's a good a place to start as any!
# 7
light487
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light487
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05/19/2008 8:17 pm
hehe.. I usually lose the rhythm because my leg starts spasming or twitching out of time.. lol.. This only happens when I am playing metal.. :)
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sixpicker
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sixpicker
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05/19/2008 10:09 pm
Originally Posted by: Hjorvard I understand that a root note, third, and fifth makes a major chord, and that shifting the third half a step makes it minor.


Flatting the 3rd a half a step gives you a minor chord.

Ex. Notes for the A major chord are A, C#, and E, make the C# a C and you have your A minor chord.

In the major scales you can flat different notes, and play a Natural minor scale, a harmonic minor scale, and a melodic minor scale. You always flat the 3rd, but you can also flat the 6th, or the 7th note in the major scale. to make these different scales.

I know that's a little off the subject, but I thought it might interest you.
# 9
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/20/2008 12:30 pm
Originally Posted by: light487hehe.. I usually lose the rhythm because my leg starts spasming or twitching out of time.. lol.. This only happens when I am playing metal.. :)

Hahaha the same happens to me, or my hand tenses up and then I screw it all up.
# 10
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/20/2008 12:31 pm
Originally Posted by: sixpickerFlatting the 3rd a half a step gives you a minor chord.

Ex. Notes for the A major chord are A, C#, and E, make the C# a C and you have your A minor chord.

In the major scales you can flat different notes, and play a Natural minor scale, a harmonic minor scale, and a melodic minor scale. You always flat the 3rd, but you can also flat the 6th, or the 7th note in the major scale. to make these different scales.

I know that's a little off the subject, but I thought it might interest you.


This does interest me indeed. For years I've dabbled in basic music theory and for years I have had trouble grasping things. It's alot easier when you put it into simpler terms like that, thanks for the advice!
# 11
ren
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ren
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05/21/2008 9:20 am
I did exactly the same. I was so busy learning lead that I neglected rhythm, and for ages it caused me problems.

What did I do? learned Bass - which helped massively on concentrating on rhythm and playing simple lines in different times. I also went on to drums, which reinforced it and is brilliant fun, but it was the bass that really sorted my rhythm out for me.

Also, if you already play guitar the notes and hence scales are all the same (well, on a 4 string bass tuned to EADG anyway).

Final thought on guitar - get your hand moving consistantly in quavers down/up/down/up... that way it's easy to hit or miss beats as necessary and syncopation just gets stuck in your head as 'up/up/up'...

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# 12
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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05/22/2008 8:16 am
I've actually been meaning to pick up bass on the side, I had no clue that it may help with that, I shall give it a try..and man, syncopation has always been an issue, I suppose I should just go slower and pay attention to my picking hand rather than focusing on my fretting hand so much....and I realy need to use a drum beat or a metronome more, I'm bad about that.
# 13
elklandercc
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05/22/2008 10:28 pm
If you want to get good at rhythm, I recommend jamming to Pantera, Lamb of God, Metaliica, As I lay Dying, and other bands like that. They have real good rhythm licks that will turn your picking hand into a real monster, not just a show puppy.
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Silimtao
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Silimtao
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06/02/2008 1:30 am
I found that jamming along with records has made me a horrible rhythm player. I found that any mistakes I made in timing was easily overlooked because the pre-recorded song would just keep going in time. Now, I play along with an electronic metronome or jam tracks. I'm still a horrible rhythm player though- after a few repeats of a progression, I space out, and invariably my pick goes flying outta my hand, lol.
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# 15
Hjorvard
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Hjorvard
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06/03/2008 4:47 am
Yeah so far through trial and error, I just use a metronome with my own material. I also pick rythm patterns, and focus on doing them with my picking hand rather than focusing on my fretting hand..that seems to help a little.
# 16

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