So, after an international move which caused a 2-month guitarless draught, yesterday I bought myself a dinky little 3/4 size acoustic and I'm once again a happy guitarist!
But... I haven't really improved in a couple of years. I need some suggestions of what to work on.
Here's where I'm coming from:
- I mostly play by myself, normally to accompany myself singing.
- I'm generally a pretty able musician, so fine with tab, traditional notation and theory background.
- I prefer to self-teach but I'm willing to find a teacher if that's the best option.
- Although I've been playing on and off for ~15 years, I'd call myself only a low-intermediate level rhythm guitar player. I can play through an unseen chord sequence happily enough, improvising a strumming pattern.
- I've done lead/solo stuff in the past so my left hand's alright, but that's not really what I'm interested in. What I love most is pop punk, ska, funk, genres with compelling rhythms. I loved spending a month studying slap bass last year, for example, because it brought such rhythm excitement along with the melody/harmony side. But my rhythm skills on guitar are comparatively weak and I'm not really sure how to improve them.
What I'm wondering is whether there's a particular course, YouTube instructor or something like that that will help me up my game on the rhythm side. I'm not sure if Spanish style is the way to go, but certainly some of the rhythmic stuff there appeals.
So, who among you can rock out on rhythm guitar? Can you hold an audience captive improvising a great percussive rhythm solo? And what route or resources would you recommend if I want to get there?
Comments
Actually, I've never found a really good resource for ska and reggae guitar but they are quite similar to funk - holding a steady rivvum, getting your damping technique nice and tight and understanding the maths - although 8ths rather than funk 16ths. You can also do a mix of chord work and single note riffs like with funk and you can play straight or swing it a bit.
I've never seen that John F clip, will try to have a look. I worked through the Bolton ones at some point, although without the accompanying booklet I think I got a couple of chord shapes wrong!
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I keep meaning to have a look at mento and calypso guitar styles, 1950's West Indian music's that preceded ska and very groove ( if that's the right word) driven. Would work well for the OP and his 3/4 acoustic.
For rock, you can't beat Eddie Van Halen-seriously, or The Young Bros (AC/DC)
I think for that third wave ska stuff the basic techniques - getting very fluid with the wrist, learning to damp- on the Ross Bolton videos will translate really well. I've yet to see a really good ska/ reggae techniques lesson for guitar.