RHYTHM Guitar - a lost art?

[emblymouse]

It's not completely lost yet. I just saw the Dap Kings. What a refreshing take on guitar work. 2 guitars, 0 solos. All night long. Everyone fit together like a swiss clock.

And I think Stevie was as strong a rhythm player as I've ever heard. Even his solo's held it together. His playing continues to amaze me.

 

[Rattman]

Dickie ain't playing with the Allmans anymore.

As far as guitarist, you don't have to have one, but if you do, teach em to work the top 4 strings and not to hit the bottom E string, esp. when its the 5 of the chord!

Right.... Dicky hasn't been an Allman Brother for a number of years already. Gregg Allman released him from the band with a lousy fax message if I got the story straight.. (it's been a while) . . "your services are no longer required.." Something to that effect anyway...

 

[jaywa]

Right.... Dicky hasn't been an Allman Brother for a number of years already. Gregg Allman released him from the band with a lousy fax message if I got the story straight.. (it's been a while) . . "your services are no longer required.." Something to that effect anyway...

It always sukks when the best musician in a band is fired by the worst one.

 

[lowendgenerator]

No mention of James Hetfield? That guy is rhythm incarnate!

My guitar player is amazingly tight too, all around great player. I'm blessed to have such an all around great guitar player in my band. (check sig if you don't believe me!)

 

[DreadyDiggs]

I listen to reggae, rhythm guitar is almost as essential as the bassline.

It's usually muted chords. I don't really know rhythm (we call it riddim) guitar outside of that context haha.


Check it.

I don't know about other genres of music, but the riddim guitar is alive and well in reggae haha.

 

[Atomik Rooster]

A couple of unsung rock guitar heroes: Brad Whitford of Aerosmith and Malcolm Young of AC/DC.

 

[bigfatbass]

Malcolm already got a nod in my first post, without him, no AC-DC. And how could I forget Leo!!??!!

Funky, chunky, rhythm guitar incarnate.

 

[baalroo]

I've played with a lot of great rhythm guitarists, my problem tends to be finding good lead players. Go figure.

p.s. luckily my current band has a good one of each.

 

[Mystic Michael]

Someone also mentioned Steve Miller and I love that guy cause he always puts the song before the guitar part. Same deal with the Edge.

That's called "being a musician"...

MM

 

[Mystic Michael]

I'll give my biggest rhythm guitar nod to Malcomb Young, Angus' unsung brother and the REAL driving force of AC-DC. His parts are the soul/juice of every song, on every record.

Absolutely...

MM

 

[Monkey]

I don't know about other genres of music, but the riddim guitar is alive and well in reggae haha.

Absolutely! I've been lucky enough to be playing with an awesome reggae rhythm guitarist for about 20 years. He can lock in and play the "chink" all night long.

It always amazes me me how many incredibly talented guitarists just cannot hold the rhythm down in reggae. I played for awhile with one guy who was a great lead player, but could not put his ego in check long enough to lay down the reggae riddim. He would get bored and start trying to "spice it up", and the groove went down the toilet.

Egoless guitarists willing to put the song first are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Bass Viking]

Hendrix was known for his soloing but he was a great rhythm guitar player too.

 

[gweimer]

Hendrix was known for his soloing but he was a great rhythm guitar player too.

Amen to that!!!

Another great rhythm player would be Rick Nielsen. Before Cheap Trick went big, I'd see them about every other week. In their club act, Nielsen NEVER played any leads. It was all chord inversions. I swear that guy knows every chord in the book.

 

[Eyeshot_Bassist]

Jon Schaeffer of Iced Earth is probably one of Metals greatest Rythym Guitarists. In Fact I don't think he's taken a solo on anything before.

 

[Johnny Mack]

my old band was a 3 piece pop punk style. the guitarist sang and really waled. he had some awesome rhythm (not to be confused with chops, which he also had). his style and mine combined really made it full sounding. his solos were incredible, too. dang, i miss that band.

my current band is a 4 piece grunge/ska/rock style. the singer is also the rhythm player and man, he completes the band's sound. hes got a really trebley sound and plays real chunky-like. we practiced without the lead player one time when we got our new drummer (awesome) and it still sounded incredible. the lead player played bass for years, but is really a guitarist in the way he plays, but in a good way. when he's not soloing or putting in the song making melodies, he can really groove the rhythm, too. i guess ive just been lucky when it comes to guitarists ive played with in real bands.

 

[Jesse DeCarlo]

Steve Cropper, man. Sometimes it was rhythm and sometimes it was fills but it was always exactly the right thing.

 

[JimmyM]

I'll add Malcolm Young to the list as well, although people have been asking this question for decades now

 

[B.C.]

My favorite rhythm players are those in ska bands(Reel Big Fish and Five Iron Frenzy, especially the later). That is a whole art that I am working on. Amazing

 

[okTem]

No mention of James Hetfield? That guy is rhythm incarnate!

+1 He's got dexterity and stamina

Izzy Stradlin...backbone of one of the greatesr R'n'R bands ever, rythm guitar MASTER. 'Nuff said!

+1 Everyone thought that it was Slash all alone.. NO!


And I'd like to add Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden... He's got his own sound too.

 

[jaywa]

+1 He's got dexterity and stamina




+1 Everyone thought that it was Slash all alone.. NO!

Slash's rhythm is actually pretty p**s poor. I have a CD of Chic playing at Budokan and he sits in on Le Freak and takes a lead and it is all volume and wah and no groove. It's kind of funny cause you hear Bernard Edwards and the drummer trying harder and harder to hold down the tempo and Slash is just taking off with it. It's like you can hear everyone breathe a sigh of relief when the lead is done.