The Most Effective Way To Practice Rhythm Away From The Guitar
Musicians often struggle to find time to practice in their hectic schedules.
It's important to know that certain skills, such as rhythm, can be honed away from your instrument.
In an upcoming video, you'll discover how to enhance your rhythm skills no matter where you are.
The video features a discussion with Simon Candy from AcousticGuitarLessonsOnline.com, where we delve into the significance of practicing rhythm away from your instrument and developing rhythmic variations to enhance your strumming.
By being able to practice rhythm skills anywhere, you'll be able to improve and diversify your skills more efficiently.
Transcript
Simon:
At the start of the live stream, we discussed making rhythm a part of your practice routine, which is very important. Many people don't because they're either unaware of how important it is or think it will be boring. You also recommended being able to count before you play it. What about number three? What's another approach we can take to improve our rhythm?
Brian:
I mentioned incorporating rhythm practice into your routine, but you can do it without using your regular practice time. You can practice rhythm anywhere. For example, if you take public transportation, you can work on your rhythm skills while sitting on the bus or train. However, I don't recommend doing this while driving. Once you get to the office, you can practice your rhythm while in front of your computer. Be subtle when practicing in the office to avoid distracting others. For example, you can tap your finger to your thumb to feel the pulse without causing a disruption. Keep a list of rhythms you struggle with and work on counting and clapping them wherever you are.
Throughout your day, there are numerous small activities where you can focus on rhythm. When listening to music, try to listen on a deeper level. Choose a specific instrument and focus on the rhythm it's playing. Can you distinguish the guitar's rhythm? How about the kick drum or bass? Pay attention to when the singer starts - is it on the "and" of two or the downbeat? Practicing these things can help you enhance your sense of rhythm. As you incorporate these activities into your everyday life, rhythm will become a natural part of your thinking process.
Simon:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And yes, I always recommend working with rhythm away from the guitar as much as possible simply because you can. As you say, you can be practicing, and someone could be looking at you and not realize you're doing that. As you said, it could be just the fingers or some tiny motion like your hand on your lap and lightly touching. It can be done very subtly, so you don't have to worry about looking odd in public. That's a good point about listening to music, which we can do almost anywhere, anytime. What do you think about clapping or counting rhythmic variations along a song?
When learning to strum, people often struggle because they try to hear a very specific rhythm. Sometimes, the guitar part is hard to hear, but it's not really necessary. I always advise focusing on the drums instead. The drums help dictate what your hand should do, which guides your strumming. You often have to go a layer deeper to hear what the guitar is doing, which can be difficult for many people. There are many different rhythms you can strum in a song and still be in the groove, with lots of little nuances. When listening to a song, you can tap out rhythms that might not be specific to an instrument but still fit in the flow of the music, and that's a really great thing to do, too.
Brian:
The way I play, I like to call it in the style of. If the strum is based around quarter notes and eighth notes, you can honestly play anything with a combination of those notes. What you play will sound good in most situations if it is in time. The same thing is true if the song has a 16th-note pulse. There's so much we can play and still have everyone in the room believe we're playing exactly like the recording. As a guitar player, we're given so much space, and everyone worries about the exact strum someone famous plays. I find this is common with people who only read tablature and don’t try to learn things by ear. What is often notated is someone improvising his part and playing variations on the 16th note pulse. So many people get hung up on why the strum is measure two is different than measure one. Well, which one do you like better? Or do you want to play option three, which is something you wrote that you think fits really well?
Rhythm is a highly creative element in music. It can greatly enhance a song and make it more enjoyable to play. Initially, it's important to be able to play one rhythm consistently. Can you maintain it for a minute or two? Once you achieve this, try creating a slight variation of that rhythm, and then another. Eventually, you'll be able to come up with appropriate variations in real time. You can have fun and creatively interact with other instruments or a singer, engaging in a musical conversation.
Simon:
Yeah, you make a good point with the strumming there. 16th and eighths will cover most strumming situations. So, if you can get that motor going, you can do anything as long as you are accenting and feeling the rhythmic pulse. Learning strumming patterns is a great starting point, but it can sound a little mechanical if you play the same strumming pattern every bar. It's, as you say, more nuanced than that.
Brian:
Yeah, and again, if you're just starting to work with rhythm, playing one pattern is a great way to start. How consistent can you get it? And once the answer is, I can play this consistently, you want to move away from that. Not that you'll never use it again, but you want to start adding more and more options. Don’t learn one pattern and think that's how you must always do it.
End of Conversation
If you want to improve your rhythm skills, I recommend you check out my free video guide, Six Easy Steps to Learn and Play Any Rhythm with Perfect Timing. In this video, I guide you through each step and show you how to practice rhythm to make the most progress. Click on the link to get your free copy today.