Understanding why rhythm guitarists can make or break a band
For any aspiring guitarist, the first thing they want to do is play a hundred miles an hour. Although part of the journey behind guitar playing is to become a good all-around instrumentalist, there’s something about the allure that comes with seeing artists like Eddie Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix torture the guitar until it’s practically begging for mercy. Despite some of the greatest guitarists in the world relying on their lead playing, some of the very best can get by solely through their knowledge of rhythm.
Though most acts have two guitarists in the group to fill out the sound, the term ‘rhythm guitarist’ may as well be retitled ‘less talented guitarist’ in the public eye. As opposed to guitarists like Slash in Guns N’ Roses, the Izzy Stradlins of the world tend to get left by the wayside. If the listener were to turn away from the sweet leads above every track, the rhythm guitarist might be one of the most important people in the band.
Since the guitar is designed to be a melodic instrument, the rhythm guitarist tends to occupy both essential roles in the group, filling out the sound with the drummer and sprinkling pieces of melody wherever they can. Although it’s easy to see singers with guitars like Tom Petty and John Lennon using guitars like a prop, their rhythm playing tends to jump out of the mix half the time, like Lennon’s instinctive push and pull with Ringo Starr’s snare drum throughout The Beatles’ early recordings.
What these guitarists might lack in technical prowess, they more than makeup for in their contributions to the songs. Many of the greatest rhythm guitarists are songwriters first, and they would often come in with the bed track for classic songs that would later be turned into classics. Look no further than the world’s most popular rhythm guitarist, Keith Richards. Though Ronnie Wood, Brian Jones, and Mick Taylor have also sprinkled lead lines over Rolling Stones classics, ‘Keef’ was always the one bringing those iconic riffs to the table in the first place.
When a rhythm guitarist does decide to take a lead part, it ends up being one of the greatest moments in the song. Rhythm guitarists have always had a keen ear for melody and would often be seen ripping out killer lead lines like Richards’ turn towards lead guitar on ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ or Lennon’s bluesy fills on ‘Get Back’.
Instead of running scales, the lead side of rhythm playing also requires looking at the guitar in a completely different way, like James Hetfield using layers of harmonies to fill out Metallica’s sound before Kirk Hammett rips out some of the most ear-splitting solos known to man. While it might take a basic knowledge of scales to shred over a song, rhythm guitarists want to create musical moments rather than the perfect solo from scratch.
It’s not like the lead guitarists of the world haven’t noticed the importance of rhythm, either. Throughout rock history, some of the greatest lead guitarists have been known for their phenomenal sense of rhythm with the rest of the band, from Eddie Van Halen playing in lockstep with his brother Alex to blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan having the rhythmic endurance of a freight train before taking some of his leads.
Even before lead guitar became more widespread, Jimi Hendrix was already developing his rhythm chops, with most of his work with The Experience blending both the rhythm and lead sides of playing into one unique package. Although rhythm guitarists tend to look like set dressing to the blind eye, what those guitarists do for the song is what makes the listener come back again and again. A lead guitarist might be the goal for aspiring six-stringers, but if the rhythm isn’t intact, there’s a good chance that everything will collapse.
