This lesson will serve as a good starting point for playing rhythm guitar.

Following The Beat

When listening to music, you might find yourself tapping your foot along with the beat. The beat keeps track of the songs time, by creating a regular pulsation against which the length can be measured.

The beat may be fast or slow, but it must be regular. Each beat has to have the same duration.

You’ve all heard the lead into a song when the lead singer counts to four and then the music begins. Or perhaps you’ve heard a drummer click the drumsticks together to begin a song. In both cases, they are setting the tempo of the song. The tempo is simply the speed at which the song is played.

Standard Time

Standard time, the most common time, means the music gets 4 beats per measure. A measure is a way to break the song down into small groups and are separated by bars.

Eighth Note Strumming