#1
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Advice for life-long acoustic player on playing rhythm with an electric?
Trying to learn and make the transition to electric guitar after gigging my entire career on acoustics. Playing lead or solos on a tele or strat is going great, but playing rhythm just always sounds terrible to my ear. I know it’s because I’m falling into the trap of playing my electric like an acoustic - and I realize that’s not gonna work.
So how do I make the transition? Any advice? Any resources like links to YouTube videos/etc you can recommend? Any online courses you know can help? Appreciate any info you can provide, thanks in advance.
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#2
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Electrics are unforgiving beasts and amplify all your minor mistakes. Consequently accuracy and precision are key. Muting well takes on greater importance too when heavier reverb is used.
What rhythm styles are you trying to master, there's a word of difference between funk and Keith Richards......? |
#3
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First things first, scale down your right-hand movements. You have to drive the top of an acoustic; you don't have to drive anything on an electric - the amp does that for you. Second, listen to the part you are trying to create. Chances are you don't want all the strings ringing and you don't want the strings ringing out continually. Practice and learn right-hand palm muting and left-hand damping to reduce the ringing strings to just the ones that are necessary to form the chord.
That's a way to get started. A rudimentary listening starting place would be Neil Young's After the Gold Rush and Harvest albums, both his electric and acoustic techniques utilize a bunch of muting and damping. Have fun! Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#4
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What kind of music do you want to play and what formats, single, duo, or larger groups? If you know that, then start listening/watching to groups who play it well. Most genres, such as Country, Rock, R&B, etc., have well established roles for rhythm guitar.
For example, in Country music a rhythm guitarist will often play only on the four beats to the bar, or just two beats on the 2 and 4. They might use a pattern of playing the root note of a chord on a low string with a down stroke followed by an upstroke on the higher strings on the off beats. Lots to learn! Usually the chords are muted quickly after each stroke, to avoid clogging up the musical space at others in the group need. Generally speaking rhythm guitar work drives the groove while taking up as little sonic space a possible. In some ways it's not so different than positional play in sports like football and hockey. |
#5
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Thank you all for the replies and for the help, I’m going to start practicing and researching all your suggestions.
To answer the question about genre, well there’s a mix of about 200+ songs that I play at my gigs (you can see the full list that I offer the audience for online requests here: https://www.joeguam.com/requests). To hear how I incorporate acoustic guitar with drums, bass, keys and ukulele by looping at gigs, here’s my latest gig on YouTube from tonight: Here’s a link to a gig I played last week with a telecaster. I feel I got the reggae and island music rhythm okay…but man…when it comes to the ballads or acoustic/folk/country style songs I’m just terrible at executing the rhythm with the tele (again, I only know how to play acoustic which is why I’m reaching out to try and learn this totally different instrument of the electric guitar). Thank you again, and please, if these YouTube videos give you any more ideas to help me, I’m a very open-minded person and appreciate any suggestions.
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AGF rules say I must tell you that I'm a KoAloha Ukulele sponsored artist. |
#6
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If so, try a set of EJ21 strings. They are 12-52 and have a wound G. Just don't plan on doing bends with them. They'll help immensely with intonation and it'll feel like you're playing your acoustic. I also agree with others above about muting. I run a pretty heavy crunchy tone when playing rhythm electric. I use a crunch channel with the gain at about 60%. You may want to experiment with pedals too. If you're getting too much variance in dynamics, try an MXR Red compressor and run the dials facing each other. That will tame any harsh volume spikes you may be getting.
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As my username suggests, huge fan of Yamaha products. Own many acoustic-electric models from 2009-present and a couple electric. Lots of PA too. |
#7
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I'd try practicing where the Tele is the only instrument so that you determine the rhythm with the guitar rather than letting the drum track determine the rhythm.
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As my username suggests, huge fan of Yamaha products. Own many acoustic-electric models from 2009-present and a couple electric. Lots of PA too. |
#8
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I added electric a year or so ago & had a similar experience. String/chord muting is important & counterintuitive if you weren't using those techniques with your acoustics. Also, my chords were going sharp (& generally sounding off) as I was gripping the neck & chording strings WAY TOO HARD! Even though my acoustics are very comfortable to play, the electric really is a different animal & I needed to get a better feel for it. Just like the acoustic, though, practice does help a lot!
Frank |
#9
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See my post about the EJ21.
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As my username suggests, huge fan of Yamaha products. Own many acoustic-electric models from 2009-present and a couple electric. Lots of PA too. |
#10
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I've recently acquired a Gretsch 2657 (yeah inexpensive GC special and am looking forward to getting a Rat Rod when Sweetwater gets them in stock),which I play the same as I do my acoustics- my strumming ain't really strumming and my picking ain't really picking. I am enthusiastic on the low E for emphasis and more gentle on the other 5, on it and the acoustics. I play lead and rhythm and lead almost simultaneously- granted I ain't real good and I'd like to learn better and incorporate rock-a-billy style- so, what I'm seeing here is, I ain't doing it correctly?
I also saw someone say an electric isn't as forgiving as an acoustic mine is more forgiving than any of my acoustics ever thought of being- which is one of the things I like about it- it makes me handsome |
#11
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Ah, sorry. Saw the first part about strings & kinda moved on. I haven't even begun a comparison of strings like I've done with my acoustics. I tried a few but as soon as I found a set I liked I stopped messing' with them.
I totally agree with all the advice you gave! I'll have to check out the EJ21s, too! Frank |
#12
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Wrist action
Like a previous post said, scale down your movements. Use more wrist action versus using your whole forearm from the elbow (if you're doing that). Also, don't dig into the strings as much. Keep the pick at string level- not below. You don't need to be as strong with an electric. Be gentle and turn up the volume instead.
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#13
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#14
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Lots of times I see a vid of a really good electric player, and it looks like they aren't doing any work at all. Light touch is a big deal on electrics - let the electrons do the work. Palm muting has been mentioned more than once in this thread, and I'd definitely agree with that. And don't forget your pickup selector, it's there for a reason.
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#15
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Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you to say. I wish the same good vibes for you too!
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AGF rules say I must tell you that I'm a KoAloha Ukulele sponsored artist. |