Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read my lesson on Subtractive Strumming. This week we’ll take the next step as Rhythm Guitar Players with Combo Rhythms.

In my four Combo Rhythms, we take the same concepts we learned in Subtractive Strumming and put the notes in a different order. This gives us more variety and an opportunity to read trickier rhythms.

Remember that just as with Subtractive Rhythms:

• Each of the following rhythms should be played separately. Do not go directly from #1 to #2.
• These patterns can be played with any chord.
• Counting and strumming indiciationshave been left out of these four exercises.
  Quarter-Notes should still be played with a downstrum, Eighth-Notes should be strummed down-up.

Be sure to keep your strumming steady and count out loud.

First practice each pattern on a single chord, repeating many times. Once you feel comfortable, add a chord change. Then try applying the rhythm to a song.

Practice these four rhythms for a solid week (or until you feel you’ve mastered them). Spend some time keeping up with your Subtractive Rhythms.

Once you feel you’ve mastered these eight rhythms, look ahead to my lesson on Creating Your Own Rhythms.

Teaching guitar to hundreds of students since 2004.

In music there is nothing more important than rhythm. Appropriately, the Rhythm Guitar Player is fundamental to any band.

Rhythm Guitar provides the harmonic and rhythmic underpinning. A good rhythm guitarist will help the band keep the beat, establish the groove and give us a recognizable chord progression. A good rhythm guitar player is all you need, supporting or even taking the place of a drummer and bass player. On the other hand a bad player will be a real drag on the band.

Subtractive Strumming

Subtractive Strumming is my approach to Rhythm Guitar playing. Before attempting these excercises, be sure you know your rhythm fundamentals (whole notes, half notes, quarter notes & eighth notes). You should also be prepared to play a few chords.

• Each of the following rhythms should be played separately. Do not go directly from #1 to #2.
• These patterns can be played with any chord.

1. We start with straight eighth notes. Play these by strumming ‘down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up’ while counting out loud (one and two and . . .)
   • Counting out loud keeps you honest.
   • Keep a steady tempo throughout.
2. Here we’ve taken away (or ‘subtracted’) the first upstrum on the ‘and of one’. By removing the upstrum, we’ve turned the pair of eighth notes into a quarter note.
   • Make sure your strumming arm keeps moving at the same pace.
   • Don’t forget to count.
3. Now we remove the first and second upstrums leaving us with two quarter notes and two pairs of eighth notes.
4. Turning the first three pairs of eighth notes into quarter notes, the only upstrum is on the ‘and of four’.

All four of these rhythms are solid strumming patterns. First practice each pattern on a single chord, repeating many times. Once you feel comfortable, add a chord change. Then try applying the rhythm to a song.

Practice these four rhythms for a solid week (or until you feel you’ve mastered them).