Rhythm Guitar Lessons
Strumming, picking, phrasing and timing

So, take a look through the rhythm guitar lessons below and make sure you equip yourself with the playing tools you need to bring out your own, unique style - and that is what's important here.

Before you learn complex strumming or picking patterns, you need to be able to negotiate chord changes. Once these "marker points" are firmly in place, you can then work your own rhythms around them. This lesson includes 6 exercises with backing tracks to help sharpen your chord change timing.

See also: Barre Chord Changing Exercises

Guitar Strumming Series

In this series, you'll learn essential strumming techniques. Starting with the basics (if you need), moving onto more complex strumming patterns and chord change rhythms, use this course to lay the foundations for your own experimentation. Features video, backing tracks and clear diagrams. Enjoy!

• Essential Strumming Basics
• Beginner Strumming Patterns
• Essential Strumming Technique
• More Advanced Strumming Patterns
• Chord Change Strum Timing

Guitar Chord Picking Techniques

Covers flatpicking styles and exercises to help you improve your picking accuracy, rhythm and timing. Learn the essential "rules" of alternate picking, string skipping and other common picking styles.

• Chord Picking Basics
• String Skipping & Layered Patterns

Finger Picking

Video series taking you through the basics of fingerstyle playing. Learn how to play multiple parts at once to create that distinctive orchestral sound. Master left and right hand co-ordination and the importance of thumb independence to play a variety of rhythms.

Electric Guitar Techniques

Some essential electric rhythm techniques for you to inject into your own rock riffs. Includes powerchord phrasing, single string harmony and arpeggiation with the focus on making your playing more defined under gain/distortion.

Metal Strumming & Rhythm

Series devoted to essential metal rhythm guitar techniques. We start with some basic downstrum rhythms (with downloadable drum tracks!) commonly used in heavy metal before moving on to more complex down-up speed patterns.

• Down Strumming Patterns
  
• Alternate Strumming Patterns

Chord Phrasing

Learn more about how to use chords more effectively by applying various note "phrases" around the basic chord shapes with your free fingers. Part 2 expands on this idea by playing 2 and 3 string phrases around a chord structure. Experimenting with this technique will help you discover new ways to spice up your rhythm playing.

• Single String Chord Phrases
  
• Floating Chord Phrases