Guitar Rhythm and Techniques For Dummies, Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction: Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction

Improve your guitar-playing rhythm, feel, and timing If you want to improve your timing, sharpen your technique, or get inspired by new ideas, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies breaks down the basics of reading, counting, strumming, and picking rhythms on guitar to make you an ace on the axe in no time. With the help of this friendly guide, you'll learn to play examples of eighth and sixteenth note rhythms—including common strum patterns heard in popular music—to improve your guitar rhythm, feel, and timing. Plus, access to audio downloads and online video lessons complement the coverage presented in the book, giving you the option of supplementing your reading with additional visual and audio learning. There's no denying that guitar is one of the coolest musical instruments on the planet. Okay, perhaps undeniably the coolest. Whether you bow at the feet of Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, the Edge, or Eddie Van Halen, they all have one thing in common: they make it look incredibly, naturally easy! However, anyone who's actually picked up a guitar knows that mastering rhythm and technique is something that takes a lot of practice—not to mention good coaching. Luckily, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies makes your aspirations to play guitar like the pros attainable with loads of helpful step-by-step instruction on everything from mastering hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to perfecting your picking—and beyond. Covers strum patterns, articulations, picking techniques, and more Showcases musical styles such as pop, rock, blues, folk, and funk Includes techniques for playing with both your right and left hand Provides access to online audio tracks and video instruction so you can master the concepts and techniques presented in the book Whether you're new to guitar or an advanced player looking to improve your musical timing and skills, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies quickly gets you in the groove before the rhythm gets you. Title Page......Page 3 Copyright Page......Page 4 Table of Contents......Page 7 About This Book......Page 11 Icons Used in This Book......Page 12 Where to Go from Here......Page 13 Part I Getting Started with Guitar Rhythm and Technique......Page 15 Reading and Playing Basic Rhythms......Page 17 Honing Your Picking‐Hand Techniques......Page 18 Getting Your Practice In......Page 19 Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse......Page 21 Drawn and Quartered......Page 22 Chords......Page 23 Give it a rest......Page 24 Knowing the half of it......Page 25 Mix and mingle......Page 26 Playing in 3/4 time......Page 27 Connecting the dots......Page 28 Part II: Reading Rhythms and Strumming Patterns......Page 29 Downbeats and upbeats......Page 31 Take your pick......Page 32 Exercising your eighths......Page 33 Floating over strings......Page 34 The rest of the story......Page 35 Playing Popular Patterns: Eighth Notes......Page 36 Resting Rhythms......Page 40 Scratching the Surface......Page 42 Sweet Sixteenths......Page 45 Popular Patterns: Sixteenth Notes......Page 46 Resting Rhythms......Page 50 Scratching......Page 51 Four Steps to Funky......Page 53 Accenting the Positive......Page 55 Three‐Ring Circus: Playing Triplets......Page 57 Lost in the Shuffle......Page 59 Compound Interest: Playing Eighth‐Note Time Signatures......Page 62 Part III: Fretting‐Hand Techniques......Page 65 Change Up: Exploring Optional Chord Fingerings......Page 67 Fingering open chords......Page 68 Bar none: E string......Page 70 Bar none: A string......Page 72 Pent‐up frustration: Fingering pentatonic scales......Page 73 Major leagues: Fingering major scales......Page 77 Playing Octaves......Page 79 Hammering it out: Using hammer‐ons......Page 81 Pulling your weight: Using pull‐offs......Page 83 Slip slidin’ away: Using slides......Page 87 Fall from grace: Using grace notes......Page 88 Bending the rules: Using bends......Page 89 Good vibrations: Adding vibrato......Page 94 Tapping into it......Page 95 Natural‐Born Citizens: Playing Natural Harmonics......Page 101 Change Your Tune: Tuning With Harmonics......Page 105 Artificial Sweeteners: Playing Artificial Harmonics......Page 106 Playing Harp Harmonics......Page 109 In a Pinch: Playing Pinch Harmonics......Page 112 Using Alternate Tunings......Page 115 Drop D......Page 116 Double drop D......Page 118 Open‐E tuning......Page 119 Open‐G tuning......Page 121 Deciding which finger to wear the slide on......Page 122 Using a slide properly......Page 123 Playing slide guitar in open tunings......Page 126 Part IV Picking‐Hand Techniques......Page 131 Using a Guitar Pick......Page 133 Alternating Current: Strict Alternate Picking......Page 134 Tremulous Tremolo: Playing Single Notes at High Speeds......Page 138 In the Palm of Your Hand: Palm Muting......Page 140 Clean Sweep: Sweep Picking and Raking......Page 141 Using Economy Picking......Page 143 Inside and Outside Picking......Page 145 A Hop, Skip, and a Jump Away: String Skipping......Page 146 Cross Your Fingers: Crosspicking......Page 148 Getting to Know Your Fingers......Page 151 Getting Started with Fingerpicking......Page 152 Playing Chord Melody Style......Page 157 Hybrid Picking: Using a Pick and Fingers......Page 160 Slap Happy: Incorporating Slap Rhythm into Your Playing......Page 162 Defining Tremolo......Page 165 Trem‐bar vibrato......Page 166 Trem‐bar dive......Page 167 Trem‐bar scoop......Page 169 Part V Practice Makes Perfect......Page 173 Slow and Simple......Page 175 Moderate and Meaty......Page 176 Fast and Furious......Page 177 By the Numbers......Page 179 Melodic Patterns in Groups of Three......Page 180 Melodic Patterns in Groups of Four......Page 184 Melodic Patterns in Thirds......Page 187 Part VI The Part of Tens......Page 189 “Free Bird” (1974)......Page 191 “Dust in the Wind” (1978)......Page 192 “Tears in Heaven” (1992)......Page 193 Chet Atkins C.G.P. (1924–2001)......Page 195 Tony Iommi (1948– )......Page 196 Nile Rodgers (1952– )......Page 197 Kirk Hammett (1962– )......Page 198 Discovering What’s on the Audio Tracks......Page 199 Looking at What’s on the Video Clips......Page 201 Index......Page 203 EULA......Page 219

Improve your guitar-playing rhythm, feel, and timing

If you want to improve your timing, sharpen your technique, or get inspired by new ideas, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies breaks down the basics of reading, counting, strumming, and picking rhythms on guitar to make you an ace on the axe in no time. With the help of this friendly guide, you'll learn to play examples of eighth and sixteenth note rhythms—including common strum patterns heard in popular music—to improve your guitar rhythm, feel, and timing. Plus, access to audio downloads and online video lessons complement the coverage presented in the book, giving you the option of supplementing your reading with additional visual and audio learning.

There's no denying that guitar is one of the coolest musical instruments on the planet. Okay, perhaps undeniably the coolest. Whether you bow at the feet of Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, the Edge, or Eddie Van Halen, they all have one thing in common: they make it look incredibly, naturally easy! However, anyone who's actually picked up a guitar knows that mastering rhythm and technique is something that takes a lot of practice—not to mention good coaching. Luckily, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies makes your aspirations to play guitar like the pros attainable with loads of helpful step-by-step instruction on everything from mastering hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to perfecting your picking—and beyond.

• Covers strum patterns, articulations, picking techniques, and more
• Showcases musical styles such as pop, rock, blues, folk, and funk
• Includes techniques for playing with both your right and left hand
• Provides access to online audio tracks and video instruction so you can master the concepts and techniques presented in the book

Whether you're new to guitar or an advanced player looking to improve your musical timing and skills, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies quickly gets you in the groove before the rhythm gets you.

Improve your rhythm and timing and develop your guitar-playing skills! Serna provides helpful step-by-step instruction on everything from mastering the art of strumming to sharpening your fingering and picking skills