Mark asks…
What is the rhythm pattern for “The Reason” ‘s chorus?
So I’m learning how to play The Reason by Hoobastank on the guitar, and i got the chords, however, I noticed that there’s a certain rhythm pattern going on in the chorus.
I tried to figure it out, so maybe it’s M M VM M M VM…
can anyone please confirm or correct it?
thanks 
CynthiaOVE answers:
I’m pretty sure its straight downpicking throughout. Hold on, I’ll listen to it and tell you in a min,
If M=downstrokes and V= upstrokes
… Its
M MV MM MVMM MV on the first Chorus for the acoustic guitar part and the dirty guitar is playing a straight down beat half note rhythm
The second Chorus changes to more of a M MVM M M ….kinda thing
Make sense? Its kinda hard, isn’t it?
Robert asks…
Rhythm Section Question, Bass, Drums, and Guitar?
I had a pretty simple question about the rhythm section say for a rock band. And say the section consists of drums bass and guitar.
The question is hard to explain say you have a drum beat, how do you know what rhythm pattern for the bass or the guitar to play along to the drum beat?? or you have a bass riff/pattern how do you know what rhythm guitar riff or drum patterns to play to it???
I am not asking for what key, style, or notes to play, i am asking like if the kick is on the 1 and the 3 of the beat and snare on 2 and 4 how would you glue the bass to that and then the rhythm guitar??? Basically so they sound like every other rock song etc.
i heard people talk about triplet feel, shuffle, etc, does that have to do with it??
I know about chords, notes, etc. 4/4, 3/4 timing etc. try to read as many music books as i can and even some composing/arranging books but still no one really hits on this subject, i know its probably a simple answer, its a hard to explain simple question
CynthiaOVE answers:
I am going to try to give you the best simple answers I can.
About bass and drums…
Usually the bass follows the kick drum. So whatever rhythmic pattern the kick drum plays is usually the rhythmic pattern the bass plays. This is what is usually referred to as the groove…. Plain and simple. HOWEVER, it does get a little more involved than that.
Sometimes the bass will follow the guitar in rhythm. This is a lot more rare than following the kick, but it does happen. Usually when this happens, it happens during some sort of riff.
Let me give you an excellent example. Take the song “I don’t wanna be” from Gavin Degraw. During the verse, the bass plays along with the guitar. During the chorus, the bass plays with the kick.
So in order to get what you are looking for, the main idea behind the “rock” groove is attitude and feel. If it doesn’t “feel” right, change it up until it does.
About guitar and drums…..
The rhythm guitar has to be one of the most difficult parts to play in a band. ANY rhythm guitarist who plays rhythm well and correctly has WAY more respect in my book than any lead player. This is why: The lead player basically just learns notes. He doesn’t NEED to groove or even make much musical sense. He doesn’t NEED to stay in rhythm. He can take loads of musical “liberties” when he plays. This is because the rhythm section carries the structure of the song…… The lead guitarist DOESN’T. But the rhythm guitarist (when done CORRECTLY) has to find the musical “place” that fits betwwen the bass and drums. So rhythmic structure, cleanliness, and chord structure are ALL paramount to the effective rhythm player. However, the rhythm guitarist can be more involved rhythmically than the bass and usually is.
Let me give you another example: “Something to believe in” by Maroon 5. Listen to the rhythm guitar chunking away. But if you listen closely, it is a very precise part…. It’s NOT just him doing whatever. Notice how in the song the rhythm lays the propulsion while the bass stabs away at just a few notes with the kick. One of the reasons the bass plays so little is to give sonic and rhythmic “space” to the rhythm guitarist. Yes, there is a method to the madness. But it still all boils down to feel. If the rhythm guitarist’s part didn’t “feel” right, he’d have to change it or it would sound like a bag of warm crap.
About beats 1, 2, 3, and 4…
The most important beat for a bass is beat 1. If your drummer is laying down a kickin’ groove and your rhythm player is smoking, you as a bass player can get away with playing one short note note on beat 1. Trust me, this works. Although, you usually play more notes anyway.
For the rhythm guitarist, the most important beat (usually) is beat 2 (or the upbeat). Do this as a simple exercise: have the drummer play a normal 4/4 drum beat. Now have the bass play a short note on beat 1 of every measure. Now have the rhythm guitar play the corresponding chord on beat 2 letting the chord ring out and stopping right before the bass plays his next note. This is the most elemental of true grooves, but it shows with great effectiveness of how they work, the importance of individual beats within the measure, AND created space for instruments to “fit” into.
FINAL ANSWER:
It’s really all about feel. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to play a groove. There IS a right or wrong way to “feel” a groove. Some grooves are very precise and they require listening to each note (like Sweet Home Alabama…. Ever wonder why no one ever makes it sound right???) Other grooves (like Honky Tonk Women) are very loose and really only require a good “party state of mind” to pull off.
So if something doesn’t “feel” right, keep messing with it until it does. That’s truly the long and short of it. And the more experience you get, the easier it will be.
Hope that helps,
Jon
Richard asks…
Who invented the guitar strumming pattern (rhythm) Down Down up up Down up?
please include sources
CynthiaOVE answers:
That particular strumming pattern was invented by a guitarist named Sam Wilson in 1944.
Sandy asks…
Guitar strumming – help?! :(?
So I can play chords and all that jazz, but I need help with strumming patterns. Not strumming itself, but the actual rhythms and patterns. I’m apparently the most uncreative person ever and hit a mental wall when I go to try and play a song. Any suggestions or websites I can go to? It’s hard to cover a song when the only thing you can play is quarter notes. It makes for a super exciting time, let me just tell you.
CynthiaOVE answers:
It’s hard to really get those strumming patterns down, looking at them on the internet doesn’t really help much. You just have to feel what you want the music to sound like, start listening exclusively to drum beats when you’re listening to music anywhere, and try and tap your fingers to what you think an interesting strum pattern for guitar would sound like
John asks…
Are strumming patterns really important for guitar?
I have been playing guitar for 2 years now, and when I am playing a song that involves strumming chords, my rhythm and beat of the song is perfect. But, my strumming patterns do quite match up with the guitar in the song I am playing, covers. Like Mr. Jones, or Closer To The Heart. I was wondering, is strumming really that important when you are doing covers? Can you play it your own way?
CynthiaOVE answers:
No, they’re not.
Strumming patterns are a tool for learning the basics of rhythm and timing. That’s it. Using a rhythm that is different than the one used on a recording isn’t going to render the song unrecognizable.
Try singing a song while playing the chords. Play each chord once. It sounds fine, right? Try just strumming quarter notes. It’s still fine, right? How about a more complicated rhythm… Still works!
It’s just a style thing. There’s no rule that says “You HAVE to use the rhythm used on the recording. If you don’t, it’s just WRONG!” Seriously… How stupid does that sound?
EDIT: Something like “Raining Blood” (which was mentioned by somebody else) is TOTALLY different. That is a specific guitar PART… Not just a general harmony to accompany a melody.
Steven asks…
guitar strumming patterns…..???
plzzz suggest me sum sites which provide the rhythms for english songs ALONG with the strumming pattern….
and can u suggest some songs on waltz beat…??
CynthiaOVE answers:
Get tablature books, they are great! Beetles “let it be” is a good one to start with. Ghost Riders in the Sky (Outlaws), The Gambler. Try a variety, even Motzart, Beethoven, Chopan. Blue Danube waltz. I found that doing the classics helps to get the basics down.
Daniel asks…
Guitar notes????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
I have guitars acoustic and electric my mom bought me a Taylor swift fearless guitar book and I love taylor swift but I don’t know how to read it. Help!
CynthiaOVE answers:
Sounds like you need some basic guitar notation help!
Guitar music can be written in one of three ways. Typical music notation; which looks like the typical music for any instrument (five lines, a clef at the beginning, and notes written n locations on those lines), chords, or more commonly as tablature. Since it is a guitar book, it probably includes all three, but just in case it doesn’t I will include the basics of reading each of these notations.
***
Tablature, or tabs, is the most common way guitar music is written, and usually it looks something like this:
—————————————
—————————————
—————5-7p5—————–
—————5——-7-7-5b7h0–
——-5–7—————————
-5–8———————————
This notation is the easiest to read. There are six lines running horizontally across the page, with numbers and letters in a pattern on those lines. Each line represents a string, with the bottom being the low E, and the top being the high E. The numbers represent which fret on those strings to play. The letters represent techniques to apply to the note. For example, 7p5 means 7th fret, then a pull off into the 5th fret. P usually means pull-off, H usually means hammer-on, and B-usually indicates a bend. Notes in a perfect vertical line with each other are played at the same time, for example if there is a 7 on the fifth string and a 5 on the 6th string directly above it on the tablature, play these strings at the same time. The drawback to tablature is that it does not tell you the rhythm or speed at which to play notes, just the sequence in which they occur.
***
Regular music notation is slightly harder to read, but more universal to other instruments and more detailed in describing rhythm and speed.
Music notation is rather complicated, and since I do not have infinite space on a Yahoo! Answers page, I will send you to a link that describes the basics of reading regular music notation. This is a great site that I actually used as a resource when I taught guitar. Once you learn this, I will describe how it applies to guitar.
Http://datadragon.com/education/reading/
As you may have noticed, because music notation is universal between instruments, it does not tell you anything that directly relates to guitar. It simply tells you what note (A, A#, Cb, etc.), and how long to play that note for. To apply this to guitar, it is simple.
The guitar only operates on the Treble Clef. No need to worry about the Bass Clef at all. It is good to know if you plan to learn other instruments, but for now you can disregard it.
Each fret on the guitar is a half step apart. That is to say, if the fifth fret on the first string is A, the one above it will be A#, and above that will be B. Remember though, there is no such note as B# or E#. Just skip directly ahead to C and F.
Playing each string open generates the root note for that string. The Open low E string (6th string), is E. The next string above that is A. Next is D, then G, then B, then E.
REMEMBER: THE LOWEST STRING ON A GUITAR IS THE 6th STRING, AND THE HIGHEST IS THE 1st.
An easy way to remember the notes of the strings is:
Eddie (E) 6
Ate (A) 5
Dynamite, (D) 4
Good (G) 3
Bye (B) 2
Eddie (E) 1
By logic, we can deduce that the first fret on the lowest string would then be F, that the fifth fret on the 5th string would be D, and that the first fret on the 4th string would be D#.
***
Finally, chords are the sequence of combinations of musical notes you can play behind a song to sing along with it. Each chord has a name, which may look like any of the following:
A, Bb, Csus2, Dm, Fdim, F#maj
Chords are based on a single note, such as A, C, or D#. Other notes that harmonize with that note are played along with this note to make it sound fuller. As a hint, chords with the word major after their note are considered the basic form of that chord, and are usually indicated by simply the note’s name (A, D#, etc.), although they are often referred to as the note’s name followed by “maj”, such as Amaj or F#maj. Extra letters after the name of the chord (D, A, etc.) indicate that it is a special kind of chord that uses a different type of pattern than the basic chord. Here is a link where you can learn some simple chords. As you progress, you will learn more chords.
Http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com/basic-guitar-chord-charts.html
In your book, chords will most likely be written above the other forms of notation. Play the chord indicated when you reach the part of the song in the musical notation directly beneath it.
***
Hopefully this basic overview of musical notation for guitars will help you in your learning. Good luck learning those songs! If you have any more questions, leave a comment and I will be happy to help clear things up for you.
Happy Learning,
Feepfeep
Laura asks…
Beginners Guitar question?
Okay so when you first started, did you have trouble playing and singing at the same time?
For example.. when i play She makes dirty words sound pretty by Pierce the veil, i cant seem to sing at the same time?
Ive been playing for 2 days.
But i also play the cello so i have been learning fast.
Help?
CynthiaOVE answers:
You must be patient in the learning process of guitar playing. It is not reasonable to expect to play guitar and sing within two days. You must learn the formation of chords and automatically form them as you play without thinking about it before you can sing a song.
Give yourself time for this. Don’t expect to run with the guitar before you’re through crawling. Fortunately, you have the calluses to work with the guitar and that is to your advantage. Nevertheless, focus on chord forming, rhythm patterns, and appropriate changes. The singing will come naturally if you have the talent for it.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers