Rock and funk rhythm guitar – free guitar course

The rhythm guitarist is the band's backbone. Three skills set them apart: steadiness, silence and syncopation.

The riff

A riff is a short repeated figure that defines a song. It mixes low notes, power chords and open strings. Keep the picking hand in constant motion (eighths) even on held notes.

M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=104
K:Em clef=treble-8
E, E, G, E, A, E, B, A, | E, E, G, E, D C B, G, | E, E, G, E, A, E, B, A, | "G5"[G,D]2 [G,D] "A5"[A,E]- [A,E]4 |]

Muted strums (ghost notes)

Release the fretting pressure without leaving the strings and strum: you get a pitchless percussive “chk”. In funk, these mutes fill the sixteenths between chords; the strumming hand never stops.

Syncopation

A chord played on an “and” and held over the next beat creates syncopation, the engine of rock and funk. Count out loud: “1 and 2 and — 3 and 4 and”.

M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=96
K:A clef=treble-8
"A"[A,EA^ce]2 [A,EA^ce] [A,EA^ce]- [A,EA^ce]2 [A,EA^ce]2 | "D"[DAd^f]2 [DAd^f] [DAd^f]- [DAd^f]2 [DAd^f]2 |]

Record yourself over a backing track: rhythm playing is judged by timing, and your ear is more honest listening back than while playing.