Why are good rythym players so rare?

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the tallman

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A look at "World's Best Ever Guitarist" thread gives a clue. Almost all are lead players and only a meager handful are rythym players. It's easier to play a solo than to lay a solid groove that makes a song happen and lets the whole band look good - that takes talent, good taste, an uninflated ego and brains - a combination seldom found in one player. Chops alone won't do it. Soloing is often mindless acrobatics with level of difficulty factored above all else.

"The last thing the world needs is another virtuoso." Sam Phillips
 
I agree. I love playing rythem and coloring the music with interesting changes. I think all my fav players would play rythem and lead at the same time.
 
Most guitar players play guitar so they can play lead. The ones with lesser egos (or sometimes sadly just lesser talent) are talked into playing bass. :D
 
I'm with you. What is a great solo on a bad rythym? I've heard some really good solos on terrible songs and they won't get to be heard 'cause the song sucks!
If you don't have a good rythtim (not only guitar, but everything) having a great lead guitar won't take you anywhere.
 
When I think of great rhythm players, I think of Steve Cropper. He is about as "in the pocket" as a guitarist can get.
 
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I read an interview with Pete Townsend once and he was asked about his guitar ability. He said he thought he was a good rhythm player. When I think about it, that's what any good player should want to do, be able to "fill the holes".
 
Ok if were talking strictly famous rythym players..

I would say Malcolm Young from AC/DC.. Im not sure if it was Bob Rock or Bruce Fairbairn, but one of them said that even though they are basic chords, the way he plays them, is like he has 6 fingers on each hand....

Joe
 
My vote for best rhythm man would go to Django Reinhart.Just listen to him rip it up comping behind Stephane Grappelli on any "hot club" cuts.Ever heard anybody else use tremolo glissandos?
 
People have been mentioning Django Reinhart in these "best ever" threads, and I was looking around at the used CD store yesterday and saw a "live Jazz in Paris" CD with Django so I said, hey what the heck. The CD quality is awful. When he starts playing it wasn't anything unusual, but then he started adding the tremolo glisblah thingermajiggers. It was quite cool. Tom, I need to get a better quality CD, any recomendations?

P.S. They offered me $12 for about 8 CD's, I remember selling used CD's for $4 each. What happened?
 
Everything is remastered from pressings 50-60 years old or older,so the sound quality isn't up to modern standards.I would look for any release from the "Quintet du Hot Club de France" era of the late 30s.Look for cuts like "Djangology" ,"Swing 42",and "Nuages" for examples of his mature style.
 
Btw, Django was born in Belgium :D

The lack of good rythm guitar is especially noticeable with young bands: I know so many guitarist who don't seem to know that u can be creative with different chord shapes, or simply that you don't have to play every note ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME.
 
Thanks for reminding me to go back to my "world's greatest" post and add Pete Townsend. I spent 5 years almost playing The Who, and rythym is all I know. I play a lot of fingerstyle also, but my lead always has sucked.- Richie
 
I work solo most all the time, so as a rhythm guitar player I suck, and know it. Way too busy. So now when I record I focus only on the simple pattern and not waver.

In country music they've been dialing out the artist/hat-act's rhythm gutar part for 50 years or more. Who was that guy, oh yeah, Charlie Collins.......played in Roy Acuff's band and always looked like a dufus and never played anything hot on the Grand Ole Oprey. In reality he did sessions all day every day as a rhythm guitar player cause he played in the pocket and the other session guys knew it. He was the core of any group he played in.

I guess it's all about making everyone else look good, and if you do, they'll be calling you back.
 
A good rhythm player not only knows what to play but just as importantly, when NOT to play.
 
"It's easier to play a solo than to lay a solid groove that makes a song happen"

although i tend to agree with this statement, let me say that if you ever take an Albert King record and try to figure out his lead work you may change your mind. Albert kings style sounds so simple, but its probably the most complicated style of guitar i've ever tried to emulate.

my choice for the "worlds greatest" thread was Jimi Hendrix. He was one of the greatest rythem guitar players of all. Jimi said "there is a world of lead guitar players but very few good rythem guitar players"
 
Oops, the coorect spelling is RHYTHM. But I knew that, just wanted to see if anyone was paying attention. But of course you were. Correct?
 
Hard stuff

I didn't know how much my rhythm work needed work until I started recording. Talk about a slice of humble pie! That's hard stuff.:eek:
 
Another vote for JIMI!!! His solos were so awesome that his rhthym often gets overlooked but he was truly a great rhythm player. Listen to some stuff he did with the Isley bros...really fine and even in the experience...if you really listen there were a lot of places where he was just rhythming away.
 
I gotta throw down a vote for Jimmy Paige...

I always look at him like he is laying down leads and rhythm together...and just goes back and forth...

love his work....

Also, John Frusciante is amazing...

I think ego is a big part of it....that guy is not afraid to "not play"...fills the holes well....

While I'm at it, "the edge" does a great job with rhythm also...

All of these guitarists were the only guitarists in their respective bands....so, i think that's a big part of it....having to rely on them for the overall pallette of the song.
 
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