Solo playing aside, guitarists normally approach playing the guitar from the point of view of its performing two fundamental roles: that of lead guitar and rhythm guitar.Lead guitar perhaps speaks for itself; it is when the guitar takes a lead role in the set up; becomes the focus, demands the attention; whilst the other musicians take a supporting role. It might be during a lead solo (which is when the guitarist has a chance to shine) or it might be blended with vocal parts or another lead instrument. The approach to lead playing depends on a number of factors which must be taken into consideration:
* the musical genre
* the context (that is, the line up of instruments)
So for instance, the approach taken when playing lead in a Big Band (Jazz) will be different to the approach taken in a Rock group. And so on.
However, it is not the aim of this post to talk about lead; rather it is to talk about the art of rhythm guitar playing; as it has been traditionally known. In actual fact, this descriptive term goes back to the big band days when it described the role which a guitar (before the advent of electric guitar) would perform in a big band context. In a big band context, the guitarist’s role was less harmonic (that was the pianist’s job) and more to do with keeping time and supporting the job of the bass and drums. On no account was it to clash with the pianists’s job which was to provide harmonic colour. So the job was simple in its instruction: keep time and stay in the background.
Freddy Green, the guitarist with the Count Basie band, is regarded as having provided the template for Big band guitarists during the swing era and beyond. Freddy took a reductionist approach to fulfilling his role; stripping the chords down to their basic elements with just a few strings (or even just one) heard with the rest provideding a percussive click that worked with a quarter note bass line and ride cymbal. For sure, all those strums were quarter note downbeats with emphasis on beats 2 and 4; same as the foot-driven hi hat. What is known as, ‘four-to-the-bar‘
It’s a fascinating area of study to undergo: the approach to rhythm guitar playing in the 30’s and 40’s…before two things came along:
* the advent of electric guitars; meant that guitarists could becomes soloists ala Charlie Christian
* the disbandonment of the big bands giving way to smaller groups and a changed role for the guitar
But this style of playing wasn’t just peculiar to the big bands; it was also heard in Gypsy Jazz; which perhaps was the European take on American Jazz. Think of Django Reinhardt for instance, and the small groups he performed in. These small bands always featured rhythm guitarists (and lead guitarists) on Maccaferri guitars taking the same sort of approach to the big band guys. It is certainly true to say that the priority was to keep time whilst providing rhythm.
But since those days, the term, ‘rhythm’ guitar has come to cover so much more. It is an approach that has evolved with the changing scenes since those times. It has come to also mean harmonic support for instance. However, it might also include other supporting elements such as counter melodies, ostinatos, arpeggiated patterns and so on. However, one thing we can say is that it is all about SUPPORT. It is not designed to steal the show or take the focus; it is meant to support…something else, be it a vocalists or another lead instrument etc. So, there is a certain art to creating so-called rhythm guitar parts that do their job well. The fact is that different styles have their own approach and characteristics. As an all rounder, you need to strive to learn it all and u flexible; have all the resources, to create the sounds you need; and have the technical facility to make it happen. You never know when you might be called upon to do as a rhythm guitar player.
Ok, this has just been a few words about rhythm guitar; an approach to guitar playing that sometimes goes ignored or not given as much attention; because it is not as flashy as the lead stuff. But the world would be a poorer place without it.
Can you think of any great rhythm guitarists?
How about Andy Summers, Pete Townshend, Nile Rogers…to name but three.
