Rhythm guitar

Rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, i.e. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together. Therefore, the basic technique of rhythm guitar is to hold down a series of chords with the fretting hand while strumming rhythmically with the other hand. More developed rhythm techniques include arpeggios, damping, riffs, chord solos, and complex strums.

In ensembles or "bands" playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres (among others), a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition plays the role of supporting the melodic lines and solos played on the lead instrument or instruments, be they string, wind, brass, keyboard or even percussion instruments, or simply the human voice, in the sense of playing steadily throughout the piece, whereas lead instruments and singers switch between carrying the main or counter melody and falling silent. In big band music, the guitarist is considered part of the rhythm section, alongside bass and drums.

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Latest News for: rhythm guitars

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Marcin: The guitar prodigy whose skills are so good, he's accused of faking

Gulf News 26 Mar 2025
Polish guitar prodigy Marcin, whose virtuoso performances have won celebrity ... At the same time, his fingers race across the strings, producing bass, rhythm and lead guitar in a whirlwind of movement.
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Marcin: a guitarist so good, he's accused of faking it

Knoxville Daily Sun 26 Mar 2025
Polish guitar prodigy Marcin, whose virtuoso performances have won celebrity ... At the same time, his fingers race across the strings, producing bass, rhythm and lead guitar in a whirlwind of movement.
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I quit my job to make Welsh reggae music and the online backlash won't stop me

Manchester Evening News 26 Mar 2025
"My sound is bass heavy with skanking guitar rhythms over the top and catchy melodies" ... .
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Runnin' with the Porter

The Day 26 Mar 2025
To expect any precise and simple answer to any of those is ludicrous, of course ... establishes a bottom end steeped in N’Awlins second-line rhythms sautéed with weaving-cobra guitar lines and riptide organ swells you can happily drown in.
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Looks like Sabrina Carpenter is Fortnite Festival’s next headliner

Polygon 25 Mar 2025
Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game developed by Guitar Hero and Rock Band creators Harmonix, was added to Fortnite in December 2023.
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Opinion: Tim Coons: Where are you giving your attention?

The Tribune Greeley 24 Mar 2025
keeping steady rhythm on my guitar, guiding musicians with varying levels of experience, encouraging the crowd in song, and somehow — while juggling all that — staying connected to the meaning of the music itself.
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They Might Be Giants never saw making kids' albums as a permanent career pivot

AV Club 24 Mar 2025
I think my favorite aspect of that song is the echo on the guitar, and the rhythm of the song is built around what’s going on with Dan Miller’s guitar. He’s hitting a pretty sparse rhythm, but then the ...
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Review: Dead & Company bounce back with vastly superior Night 2 show

The Mercury News 22 Mar 2025
Mayer sounded strong at the microphone, and even better on the electric guitar, as he worked in and out of the incredible rhythm work coming from the twin towers of percussion — Hart and Lane.
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Assassin's Creed Shadows' generous parrying is a nightmare – and before anyone can say "skill ...

Games Radar 22 Mar 2025
Many video games employ this concept, demanding the player understand rhythm in order to progress ... Sadly, Assassin's Creed Shadows has now presented the same problem all over again.Slave to the Rhythm.
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Meet the 7 women shaping the future of Pakistani music

Dawn 22 Mar 2025
I started to record rhythm guitar while playing a solo over it.” She also made up for the lack of jams in school by co-founding the Lahore Music Meet with Noorani and others in her senior year of college.
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What do the cheapest Dead and Company Las Vegas Sphere tickets cost?

New York Post 22 Mar 2025
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner ... Featured pricing is subject to change ... start at ... Bob Weir rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals (2015–) (Grateful Dead 19651995) ... John Mayer – lead guitar, lead and backing vocals (2015–).
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YHWH Nailgun: 45 Pounds review – a singular spin on funky NYC post-punk

The Observer 21 Mar 2025
The other half of the rhythm section isn’t bass guitar but synths ... The synths mix almost imperceptibly with guitar from Saguiv Rosenstock to form a shifting murk at the bottom of the mix, but the ...
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Stray Vines Releases New EP White Oak, Blending Americana, Classic Rock, and Grunge

GetNews 21 Mar 2025
Featuring personal lyrics, acoustic guitars, and a tight rhythm section, White Oak captures the band’s signature blend of Americana, classic rock, and grunge ... Driven by powerful guitar riffs and ...
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Hip-Hop for the Infinite Scroll

The Atlantic 21 Mar 2025
His beats have lots of detail but no fixed center, creating rhythms that call to mind choppy waves or a record that’s stuck in a groove. A synth or guitar is always prickling in the background, casting a putrid haze ... [Read ... drugs ... .
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Meet ‘Ratatan,’ the spiritual successor to the iconic PSP rhythm game franchise ‘Patapon’

The Philadelphia Inquirer 20 Mar 2025
Unlike its contemporaries such as “Guitar Hero” and “Osu!,” the game partnered high-octane combat and strategy with ...
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