Rhythm is super important to learn for all the ereasons stated.

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Personally, I've always considered myself as a rhythm guitar player that can play some leads. In fact I grew up learning both together but rhythm has always been my passion for some reason (which also explains why I love playing drums as well, LOL!). I really think however that to be a well rounded guitar player, you really need to have at least a little of both. Because of the type of music I play...mostly classic rock and blues...I don't think a lot of "theory" is really all that important but some is certainly essential and applies equally to both rhythm and lead work.

I would also add that personally I find it a great joy to be able to "trade off" when I'm working with another guitar player in a band...I do some leads, the other player does some leads and you find each others strengths and weaknesses...and there's just nothing like a simple "blues jam" with a couple of guitarists and everyone on equal footing. In any case, it's all part of that whole "working with other people" thing that has already been mentioned.

Now with that said, I will convey one little piece of experience: a "band" will NOT work with only one guitar player who -only- plays leads. Let's say you have a stereotypical "garage band" consisting of 4 people...a drummer, a bass player, a singer and a guitar player. Even if the other members of the band are very talented, if that guitar player can only play leads, you have a very huge hole in your sound and you will never make it out of the garage until you find a decent rhythm player. Conversely, you -can- put a band together with a person who only plays rhythm (if they do it well) and find ways to "work around" the leads (such as a keyboard player who can expand your sonic pallet considerably).

I would again reiterate though that a well rounded guitar player should be able to do both. Listen to some of the greats...Clapton, Hendrix, Townsend and even guys like EVH...none of these guys play one or the other exclusively. Their styles consists of a little of both. In fact, I can't really think of any truly great guitar players who -only- play one or the other.

Additionally, if you're just learning, there's no reason at all to really focus exclusively on one or the other. If your ultimate goal is to simply sit in your bedroom or your basement then it doesn't really matter either way...as others have insinuated, there's plenty of "wankers" out there anyways. If on the other hand your planning to work with others at some point, then you should try and be as versatile as possible. In other words, don't think of the instrument as a" lead guitar" or a "rhythm guitar", just think of it as "a guitar" and take all you can from it.

Just my $.02 worth,
Jim

I have never really understood that "lead man" theory. It's the composition, the tune, the song, the piece that's important, not the player.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that those who play a certain song are not important, I just want to say that you must play what you feel fits in the song, not to play fast or show off in any way. It's stupid!!!
Hell, I love jazz and movie scores and sountracks, so... I guess I'm not the one that should talk about that. I grew up on orchestras and piano, and I have a different opinion. But as I can see, you understand what music and playing in a band or with somebody else is all about.

I think that having good rhythm grounding is very important before going to playing lead.By playing rhythm you develop an ear for harmony and you also pick up timing and chord structure.A music store owner told me once of a young guy who came into his store and tossed off some incredible leads but when someone sat down to jam with him he was lost,he had never played with anyone and didn't know one chord.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Me, rhythm and it seems that most times I am asked to sit in it's for rhythm work. And singing lately for some reason.

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I myself started out on lead stuff, pentatonic and other scale runs, sweep-picked arpeggios, delay, flangers, etc. Got bored of that pretty fast, now all I do is rhythm with a strat and a champ (Or mah Ampeg). Simplicity is good.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

I've always had more people impressed by my rhythm playing than my lead. To this day (after 30 yrs) I still consider myself a rhythm player who can play lead. Besides it's easier to sing while playing chords.

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"A boom boom boom" sez it all!
'00 Am Deluxe Fat Strat
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I think that it's important to acknowledge that different styles or genres of music require different approaches to learning. A person who's intent is to play "heavy metal" for example doesn't need to learn how to play in the same rigid fashion as a person who's planning to play classical music. I think that part of the problem is that there's not a lot of music teachers out there who really consider this.

When I first started playing guitar, I was -very- young...I was only 4. At that time, I took "traditional" private lessons...I was sat down with the "Sam Fox Modern Guitar Method" series of books and taught how to read and sat there practicing and playing various material such as "Little Brown Jug" and "When the Saints Go Marching In"...after 3 years of that crap, it practically drove me insane. Because of that, along with the fact that my parents wouldn't get me an electric guitar, I quit playing. It was NOT the stuff that -I- wanted to play. Later when I was 17 and was able to afford my own electric, I went back for lessons and I got very lucky as the teacher I had this time asked me one simple question; "What do you want to play?". I had never been asked this by -any- teacher...what did -I- want? After thinking about it a little, I told him stuff like Eric Clapton's "Cocain", so this guy recorded a 4 track with the basics of the tune and wrote out the the pentatonic minor scale as well as the chords for the tune so I could learn how to "improvise" over it. This had made such a very very HUGE difference to me and to this day...over 25 years later...I'm still playing.

I wanted to tell that little story there because I've worked with a lot of people over the years who want to play stuff like blues and classic rock but who were "classically trained". I've worked with people who very literally if you take the sheet music away from them, their hands stop moving...the sheet music goes straight in their eye balls and straight out their hands. There's nothing of their own heart or souls in the music. In fact I worked with a drummer about a year ago who was like this...if she didn't know the tune...hadn't learned it and memorized it ahead of time, she could NOT play. What's worse is she played it the exact same way EVERY single time. Yes, she was tight and her timing was impeccable but if even the vocalist strayed even a little from the exact structure of the tune, this woman got lost. If she didn't know the tune, she didn't play...at all...wouldn't even try. The really sad thing here is that this woman was also a music teacher and it simply terrifies me to think that she taught her students to play this same way.

Conversely, I also play drums...never had a single drum lesson in my life. I've worked with enough drummer though that when I got a kit down in the studio (mainly for other drummers to use), I had a good, basic idea of what to do with the sticks! LOL!!! Is my timing or dynamics perfect? H*ll no! LOL!!! On the other hand, I can sit down with people and at least jam over a tune which I may have never heard before...and to me this is just so much more important with most modern styles of music than being able to play something "note for note".

I guess my point is, if a person is going to play in something like an "orchestra" and that's the type of music a given person wants to play, then yea...this strict, rigid type of learning is quite appropriate. On the other hand, if a person wants to "jam out" on some blues or even some old classic rock standards let alone try and write their own material, then it really is a very different ball game and really does require a different approach to learning. Ear training and "feel" are considerably more important in my opinion than any kind of sight reading or in depth knowledge of theory. In both cases a person will likely be "playing with other people"...in the case of an orchestra or classical music, you may be playing with -a lot- of other people, LOL! With a small group of contemporary musicians however, a lot of that stuff can really get in the way if that's -all- you know. As a person who does mostly covers, I personally try to take the material and make it my own...put my own stink on it if you will.

I think in this regards, being able to be flexible is really a must and I think this is something that goes well and beyond anything such as "theory". This is just my own personal attitude but knowing tons of chords and scales and such is really completely useless unless you can apply them to the material you're actually doing. Again, 9/10's of the stuff I do is classic rock and blues...for me, knowing how to play stuff like augmented (demented) 13th chords and having an intimate knowledge of various modes is -really- pointless. I never use that kind of stuff so I wouldn't remember it anyways. Most of what I do is usually in a minor pentatonic scale over 4 or 5 major or minor chords (with the occasional 7th or 9th chord thrown in)...it's not really that difficult at all. Certainly this would be different for a jazz player and it would be different still for a person doing those movie scores...and there's nothing wrong with that stuff at all, but personally I think it all requires different approaches to the learning process.

Obviously this all applies to both lead and rhythm work as well. The difference between playing "a lead" and playing a scale for example is how the individual artist chooses to apply the notes. Same goes for rhythm too...a person could sit there and just do those dumb up and down chord strokes or he/she could spice things up ala Bo Diddly...a good rhythm player is just as dynamic as a good lead player

Anyways, I hope those random thoughts actually made some sense to someone.

Peace,
Jim

This is not a stupid question at all. I don't think you can get to be a good lead player without a very strong sense of rythym. I have seen lots of guys who are guitar heros on their own, but they absolutely suck when they have to keep time and play with others - to the point that they can never get into a band. Listen to AC/DC, VanHalen, etc. The guitar players burn on leads, but their music is really special because of their rhythym playing (Angus!)

Although I agree you need to be proficient at rhythm as much as lead, can't help but think of B.B. King, who never plays rhythm. But then again, he's the only one I can think of could get away with it.

Albert King played mostly lead too.

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Both!

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Look at the Arc Angels, Storyville and the Band Of Heathens--each guitarist within the group (2 in Arc Angels, 2 in Storyville and 3 in the BOH) play both rhythm and lead quite capably. My own band (the Screamin' Armadillos) has two guitarists when we play live (the drummer will play guitar in studio); all of us play both rhythm and lead.

Play to the song (not the solo), play what you feel, and don't step on anybody else's solo...

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Well I played basically rhythm guitar for many years before I got into lead playing, I was a walking song book. There are some rhythms to this day I find more taxing than most leads. I would say learn as many Beatle songs as possible and it will open up your eyes to how to structure a song. Also there use of dominant 7th chords is amazing. Three early songs that are a great workout are Ask Me Why, Till there Was You and If I fell. I would be certain that three quarters of the forum would have some trouble playing Johns Rhythm part to All My Loving correct.

Rhythm players I have studied heavily include anything by the Beatles,Hendrix,Keiff, Townshend, Page, Setzer, Andy Summers, Malcom Young, Vanhalen,- These guys are all great rhythm players though a few might be known better for being lead Gods'

I would also recommend having an acoustic guitar to anyone who plays as it builds up the strength in your hands and when you go to play electric it is like swinging a bat that has a weighted donut on it. Your electric will feel like chording butter.

Nikininga I remember that guy Wilco from a series that ran here in the 80s called Rock School that was like an eight part series that showed different musical styles. I know it had to be played in the UK as I believe it was made there as the three musicians were all British and the guitarist was a girl who was just a great player. Do you know the show I am talking about. Herbie Hancock used to host it.