The most important skill we have next to our ears hearing music and our ability to technically play what we'd want to, is our sense of rhythm... 

In order to perform rhythm parts accurately (that are also comfortable), and get the parts feeling like they're very well controlled (especially when we consider timing when we're delivering), we need to have a solid approach to performing rhythmic meter.

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Without a learning approach, we're going to have problems matching to the rhythm guitar parts from songs, and with being able to perform rhythms perfectly in time.

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GENERAL RHYTHM PROBLEMS:
The main problems that most guitar players have is two-fold.

Problem #1). MATCHING A PART FROM A SONG:
Most guitar players who are still studying rhythm guitar find it very difficult to accurately match a part from a recording.

Problem #2). CREATING ORIGINAL GUITAR PARTS:
A secondary issue comes in being able to create original rhythm guitar parts when players are composing their original songs.



In this post, I want to cover a collection of techniques that you can take in and use right away to help you build much better skills at playing better rhythm guitar.

Rhythm Skill Study #1). "COUNT IN"
Counting into a piece makes a huge difference. The preparation it allows you to nail the beats of the groove is incredibly valuable. The other aspect with counting in is to do it with vigor. Count in like you mean it. Doing so makes all the difference in the world.

Rhythm Skill Study #2). "CONSISTENCY"
Having consistency is critical to solid skill development. Without a consistent feel across the groove your rhythmic playing will operate across a wave. It will swell and dip along the groove rather than maintain a steady feel. The trick to this is awareness and conscious effort. With strong diligence to consistency your groove will be rock solid.



Rhythm Skill Study #3). "PLAY TO A CLICK"
The feel of a click track can cause many players problems at first. It takes effort to focus the mind on the click of a steady back-ground meter. However, once you can focus your mind upon the click, and later to drum loops, your sense of time will become much more evolved.

Rhythm Skill Study #4). "MAKE THE GROOVE LAST"
Performing a solid groove is about lasting power. One of the perfect examples of this are funk and metal bands. These styles lay down a groove and maintain it. Check out some of Metallica's songs where they establish a meter and push it out for several minuets.This dedication to making a groove last is incredibly important. Strive for duplication and dedication to the part. Make it long lasting. And, keep it the same (do not deviate).




CONCLUSION:
Really solid rhythm guitar technique - and just having great rhythm skills overall - will ultimately revolve around you developing a great sense of feel and timing. So, if you can't do things like; count into a song properly with your band, or if you're having troubles carrying on a really solid /consistent beat, if you can't play to a click track, or if performing the groove over and over in time has you dropping the beat - you've got some "rhythm" playing problems to overcome.

This work will involve isolated study on your rhythm guitar skills. Over time, the ideas I've covered here will really help get you. And, with study, you'll find yourself getting better at keeping a solid /consistent beat in everything you do!