Well, our lead player couldnвЂ™t play a song. It gives us time to have a drink and a smoke while the other guy takes a song. Then that weird guy your brother brought goes. Usually, in an environment like this, we all drink a lot and trade songs. However, we went camping last summer and brought our guitars. He got a guitar teacher who taught him just lead stuff. We formed a band while he was still very much learning the craft. In learning guitar, he skipped the rhythm piece.

At the end of the gig, it is him that people are talking about. I can solo quite decently, but I donвЂ™t live for it. I am in a band, and am the rhythm guitar guy. It is good to know music theory, but it can literally take a lifetime. A lead guy has to know scales, positions, fifths, thirds. Just remember and practice those chords and different strumming patterns and techniques. ItвЂ™s very good to have, but not critical at first. You donвЂ™t need to know any musical theory here. Learn these seven major and minor chords and you can play just about every song ever written. There are seven fundamental chords (C D E F G A B). To play rhythm, you need to know the chords. If you are a rhythm guy, all you need is an acoustic. This means your long-haired buddy needs a guitar, an amp, a power outlet, and (apparently) a fan. The necks are much thinner, as are the strings. As I mentioned above, you very, very rarely see someone knocking out a guitar solo on an acoustic. Lead guitar takes a lot of work, and a lot of equipment. People will always ask for вЂPatienceвЂ™ at the fire, but no one has ever asked for the solo to Patience. Not once has anyone ever asked me to play the solo from a song. I have been rocking at campfires for almost 25 years now.

Rhythm playing is what you do when you go camping. This guy gets more girls than you, and he may be a better player. Lead guitar, and soloing, is the single notes being played super fast way high up on the neck by the guy whose hair is being blown back by a very large fan somewhere just off camera. In fact, just plain learning guitar is a bitch вЂ¦ especially if you do it on an acoustic (which you absolutely should, no discussion). Physically, it is so demanding it can be painful. This is because doing lead solos on an acoustic guitar is a bitch. Generally speaking, if you see an acoustic guitar during a live performance, they are doing rhythm. The feel of the guitar and the style of the song вЂ¦ I think that is on you. In time you will learn, never depend on a drummer for anything. I think the beat, and the time, comes from the drummer. Books will tell you that rhythm comes from the drummer вЂ¦ and the bass player. You have heard the term вЂjack of all trades, but master of noneвЂ™? Be a master of one вЂ“ rhythm.ДЄllow me to clarify вЂrhythmвЂ™ guitar is the background, of sorts. I think a beginning guitarist should put their energy into rhythm. Anecdotally, I find people choose one or the other as they get a couple years in. As a beginner, the question is to attack lead guitar or rhythm first. Just as it is best to learn different styles of music. This is all true, and it is best to learn all disciplines.

I could also tell you to learn both, which would be fine. I should tell you they are both very valuable, and both will contribute to your technique and development. After 25 years playing guitar, I should be agnostic on this.

Master of none chords