Rock Rhythm

Rhythm guitar is most of what a rock guitarist actually plays, and a solid part is what makes a band groove. This chapter teaches rock rhythm guitar the practical way: steady time first, then color, then the pushes and fills that make a part sound like a record.

You'll start with the eighth-note chug on three-note power chords in A minor, downstrokes from the wrist with a light palm mute. Then you'll add sus2, sus4 and add9 chords to open D, A, G and C shapes, moving one finger at a time so the high notes ring through the changes. Next comes syncopation: counting "1 & 2 &" out loud, landing chords on the "and" and keeping your strumming arm moving through every rest.

The last lesson gives you rhythm licks from beginner to advanced: a chug with a pentatonic fill, chords alternating with dead-string scratches, and sixteenth-note pushes. Work through each one with the click and the tempo ladder until your right hand feels like a drummer.