Rhythm guitar

From Freepedia

Rhythm guitar is the role of the guitar in playing accompaniment in various musical styles. The term rhythm guitar, therefore, is simply a musical notion which implies almost any guitar, usually electric, played in a way where it supplies the pulse or rhythm of a song in conjunction with the bass guitarist and the drummer, usually in a Rock band. A rhythm guitar cannot be purchased because it does not exist as a separate musical instrument. A rhythm guitarist supplies the layer of rhythm on top of which the melody is either played using another instrument or sung by a human. Many skilled rhythm guitarists slip in and out of the role of playing rhythm and playing lead, if the song calls for it. So, there is not a hard line between being a rhythm guitarist and a lead guitarist. A guitarist can be both - it just depends on how he plays the guitar.

Typically the role of the rhythm guitars is to combine a rhythmic accent with simple or complex harmonies, as the song demands. There are a great many specific styles of rhythm guitar: Big Band, as exemplified by Freddie Greene of the Count Basie Orchestra; Western swing as played by Eldon Shamblin of the Bob Wills Orchestra, or rock and roll music, as exemplified by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Pete Townshend of The Who, James Hetfield of Metallica, Gem Archer of Oasis, Malcolm Young of AC/DC and Izzy Stradlin of Guns N' Roses to name a few.

In Rock and Roll, the role of the rhythm guitarist is typically expected to play a simple sequence of chords, called a chord progression, around which the song is constructed. Often this chordal accompaniment is simplified to a cluster of two of three notes, sometimes called a "riff", that is repeated. In metal, this is typically extended to more complex sequences consisting of a combination of chords, single notes and palm muted parts, while the more technical bands often play riffs which are highly reminiscent of lead guitar technique. In Jazz or Swing styles, the rhythm guitarist is also expected to integrate a moving bass or counter-melody in his or her playing.

See also: lead guitar.