This one puzzles me.I loved the guitar from the moment I heard one.I grew up in a house full of music.My older brother by 7 years is a record collecter my sister played piano and it was the 60s.The Beatles were and always will be my #1 band.Being a street guy from Brooklyn N.Y I never realy had a friend that played guitar until I was 20.I sarted out on an acoustic my sister had .She showed me a G-Em-C-D progression and I found out I could play a lot of 50s hits cool.I played rhythm guitar for 10 years before I got into lead.I was a chord fiend and always made sure I could play any song I wanted all the way thru,and the more chords the better.Then I started hanging out with my friend Rob who used to be a drummer and switched to guitar and was a lead junkie,had the gift of playing super fast but could not play 1 song through with chords unless it was a blues progression.So when ever we would be anywhere and there was one guitar he would start wailing and nobody would pay much attention and then I would play what ever was in the top ten and people would bug out and he would get mad.Well one time we were hanging and this time we both had guitars I started playing then he came wailing over the chords and then it was like I was not even there and I was like uh-oh I got to get some of that and thats how I became a lead player and the way I was a chord fiend I became a scale and lick fiend and as Hendix was always my Idol I had to learn all those solos note for note without no tab,oh the torture lol.But it is just interesting what draws people to the guitar I wanted to play songs, Rob was and still is interested in just lead though he can play decent rhythym today.I go to so many guitar stores and see a lot of kids who can play lead great but cant play rhythym well and since I only had 3 lessons when I was 11 from some 80 year old guy who had me playing OH SUSANA and almost never made me want to play again,I really had to teach myself just about everything.Today I teach my 11 year old son and split it 70-30 rhythym-lead as I think the goal should be to be an overall well rounded player and as I am not an expert on theory I taught myself enough to know why this works over that and what other options do I have and I think anyone who teaches or helps someone out should do the same as we all know it has to come from the heart. I mean Hendrix and Vanhalen are 2 of the greatest at both lead and rhythym.I would like to know from some of my fellow forum friends how did you start out .KEEP ON ROCKIN

You must be kidding! I also grew up in Brooklyn in the 60's. There was a band on every block. To get back to your original question, I pretty much always played both rhythm and lead in equal amounts, right from the start. I still do.

I've been playing for a year and a half now. I still do a lot of rhythm. I like trying my hand at lead too, but that's only between me and my friend when we play together.

But hey, you can't have lead without rhythm (I knew a guy who single-handedly proved that...)

GADABOUT,You are absolutely right about the block parties and the bands playing everywhere.I grew up in South Brooklyn near Court st, the point I was making was the crew I ran with were not what you would call musicians lol.I was the only one of my friends a large and very well known group that played guitar and I did not really associate with people who did till I was older.

Hello Straycat113,

Thinking back on it Rhythm playing is in my roots,
My neighbors would play their guitar & banjo and
I would strum along the chords under their wing.
That's a long time ago and the neighbors are gone
but I still think of them when I play those old favorites.

Cheers.

Singer-songwriter, I'm stuck playing rhythm quite often, but if I get a chance, I don't mind playing lead. I'm not much of a lead player, but the simple stuff is quite fun.

I got to play lead on Get Back last night (I know... very easy) but it's fun, and people who've seen me before don't expect to see it.

Believe it or not, I started on mostly lead. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I finally started focusing on and improving my rhythm playing. I work on both about equally now.

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straycat , bro , my first gig with a band was rythm guitar.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I stared out playing rhythm and still do. I have just after playing 10 years started learning lead. It seems as if i can't coordinate both hands as easy on scales without going so slow that its dreadful. Does anyone have any tips to help with this?

There's a difference?


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Okay that's oversimplified. What I should say is: I started out to play music, not guitar, and so I have never felt that I was playing rhythm now or playing lead now. I'm just playing the guitar, playing the part, playing the song. Dividing your thinking into "now I'm playing 'lead', now I'm playing rhythm" is a bit counterproductive. I don't even see much division anymore between playing keys or bass or guitar. I'm just playing whatever my part is in the music that's happening.

Paragraphs are your friend!


Rhythm.

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http://www.bluesrepublic.org/

2008 Fender American Stratocaster
2008 Fender Deluxe Telecaster
Fender Power Jazz Bass Special 1987 (MIJ)
Egnater Renegade Head
Egnater Tourmaster 2x12 cab

'Was a great Ventures (Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Jerry McGee) and surf music and Duane Eddy and Tommy Garrett fan.

Chords were of very limited interest, and vocals of absolutely none.

Hence, the decision to be a melodic guitarist.

I joined my first band as a 13 year old rhythm player.

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I played acoustic for over 30 years before I got my first electric, so didn't start trying lead till a little over a year ago.

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Stagemaster
Roadhouse Strat
Epi Traditional Pro Les Paul
Ovation Celeb
Esteban Celestial Night(nicely tweeked)
Blackheart tube amp

I like playing rhythm a lot more and I think I'm better at it

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