Is rhythm natural?

[Lavallee]

Hi folks,

I was just replying to Pierre in the video I just did. All along I have been mentioning that I have to work on rhythm. In replying to him I realize, because I have played guitar many times with him, that Pierre has a natural rhythm when he plays and I have to understand it because it is not natural at all. Pierre does not play with a metronome (that I know of), he just feels the song right away while I have to listen to it a great number of time before understanding it (and still not feeling it, I think...)

I am not talking in general when a song is playing and you follow the main beat. I can sing the song (in my head , for the protection of my neighbors ) But when I strum I just bloody struggle until I play the damn song 232 1/2 times.

I have a few technical skills, so I cannot say it is because I am just beginning. My daughter who does not play any instrument, can make some quite remarkable mix with a software she has. She change the speed of a song to meet another and it is flawless. sounds professional.

So why is it natural for some people and not for others. There has to be some talent of course, but maybe how you listen to the song, maybe listening at different things.

Enlighten me : is there something that can be done to improve or if you are a dud you just stay a dud


Marc

[Music Junkie]

Marc:

I think rhythm comes more easily to some than to others for sure. I can get the timing and the feel of a song very easily, but perfecting a certain strum pattern (especially the sixteenth notes when they are added in on certain parts of songs) can be very difficult. As a particular example, I would bring up Ventura Highway by America. Super easy set of chords and very easy rhythm to feel. Getting the strum spot on with the sixteenth notes is very difficult for me. If I dumb down the song a bit for a more campfire version, it is simple.

I don't know if I am understanding your question as it is intended, so I apologize if this response is out in left field..... :huh:

When I am learning a song, I start by figuring out the time signature, then the key, then I pick out the chords I need. After that, I can usually do a campfire version after little practice time. Getting the song down with varying strumming and picking individual notes with runs and embellishments can take me a lifetime.... I'll let you know if I ever get one right..... B)

Side Note:
The "Rhythm" is the biggest reason why I had to go left handed instead of trying to learn to play right handed. I have absolutely NO DAMN RHYTHM in my right hand..... It feels as though the right side of me does not even belong on the same body when I try to play right handed......sad......

Good question!

J

[daryl]

Very interesting question Marc. But I have no answer for you. For me, when I hear a song that moves me, it literally moves me. I start bouncing or swaying my head and/or body to some rhythm in the song. Most Beatle songs do it to me. I always thought it had something to do with my heartbeat and the BPMs of the song (I always imagined that the two were in perfect sync). The funny thing is I can't dance. I have no natural rhythm in my body. Talk about a clutz with 3 left feet! But when I sit and hear a song that gets to me, I'm like Keith Moon on the drums!

Do any songs "move" you?

[Lavallee]

Music Junkie wrote:

Marc:

I think rhythm comes more easily to some than to others for sure. I can get the timing and the feel of a song very easily, but perfecting a certain strum pattern (especially the sixteenth notes when they are added in on certain parts of songs) can be very difficult. As a particular example, I would bring up Ventura Highway by America. Super easy set of chords and very easy rhythm to feel. Getting the strum spot on with the sixteenth notes is very difficult for me. If I dumb down the song a bit for a more campfire version, it is simple.

I don't know if I am understanding your question as it is intended, so I apologize if this response is out in left field..... :huh:

When I am learning a song, I start by figuring out the time signature, then the key, then I pick out the chords I need. After that, I can usually do a campfire version after little practice time. Getting the song down with varying strumming and picking individual notes with runs and embellishments can take me a lifetime.... I'll let you know if I ever get one right..... B)

Side Note:
The "Rhythm" is the biggest reason why I had to go left handed instead of trying to learn to play right handed. I have absolutely NO DAMN RHYTHM in my right hand..... It feels as though the right side of me does not even belong on the same body when I try to play right handed......sad......

Good question!

J

Hi Jason, this is a good point to consider the time signature at the beginning. I also generally have no problem with campfire song. My struggle is the same as yours with those 16th. I always seem to start too early or too late or rush through, or not feeling the pause between 2 notes , or not feeling a doted note

Interesting fact that you change side to go to the left because of the rhythm. Are you a natural lefty, or is it just for guitar?

Marc

[Lavallee]

daryl wrote:

Very interesting question Marc. But I have no answer for you. For me, when I hear a song that moves me, it literally moves me. I start bouncing or swaying my head and/or body to some rhythm in the song. Most Beatle songs do it to me. I always thought it had something to do with my heartbeat and the BPMs of the song (I always imagined that the two were in perfect sync). The funny thing is I can't dance. I have no natural rhythm in my body. Talk about a clutz with 3 left feet! But when I sit and hear a song that gets to me, I'm like Keith Moon on the drums!

Do any songs "move" you?

Daryl,

I was afraid you were going to say that: no answer. I actually get the rhythm in me as you describe : the bouncing, the head, the foot. I am told I am not a bad dancer (maybe I had some dates that were polite )

Music with prominent rhythmic bass really gets me moving. Maybe I am not paying attention to the right aspects of the song. I am a 70`s rock fan (love a lot of the new stuff too as well), were the rhythm was clear and loud.

As I am thinking more about it, I think that the challenge comes if the emphasis is not on beat one. If you skip it, or emphasize beat 2, etc...

Marc

[daryl]

Lavallee wrote:

daryl wrote:

Very interesting question Marc. But I have no answer for you. For me, when I hear a song that moves me, it literally moves me. I start bouncing or swaying my head and/or body to some rhythm in the song. Most Beatle songs do it to me. I always thought it had something to do with my heartbeat and the BPMs of the song (I always imagined that the two were in perfect sync). The funny thing is I can't dance. I have no natural rhythm in my body. Talk about a clutz with 3 left feet! But when I sit and hear a song that gets to me, I'm like Keith Moon on the drums!

Do any songs "move" you?

Daryl,

I was afraid you were going to say that: no answer. I actually get the rhythm in me as you describe : the bouncing, the head, the foot. I am told I am not a bad dancer (maybe I had some dates that were polite )

Music with prominent rhythmic bass really gets me moving. Maybe I am not paying attention to the right aspects of the song. I am a 70`s rock fan (love a lot of the new stuff too as well), were the rhythm was clear and loud.

As I am thinking more about it, I think that the challenge comes if the emphasis is not on beat one. If you skip it, or emphasize beat 2, etc...

Marc

Perhaps you are over analyzing things. When I play, I never think 16th notes or up/down/down/up or anything like that. But like I've always said, I am a very undisciplined player. I simply play what I hear/feel. Sometimes it's spot on to the original recording and sometimes it's just "my style". I don't really (typically) worry about it. So try just closing your eyes, relaxing your hands and arms, and play along with the recording and play what you feel. You may need to slow the recording down a bit so you can play "what you feel" in time with the song. Once your muscle memory sets in, then you can work on getting up to speed.

[Catman]

Lavallee wrote:

As I am thinking more about it, I think that the challenge comes if the emphasis is not on beat one. If you skip it, or emphasize beat 2, etc...

Marc, the assignment for your next video is a reggae song

I'm sort of like Daryl in that I don't analyze strumming patterns and think about every beat. Sometimes I find that playing the bass line of a song helps gives me a better feeling for the rhythm of the song.

David

[daryl]

I agree with David.....I seem to subconsciously tune into the bass and drums for the rhythm.

[dennisg]

Marc,

I would say yes, rhythm, like athleticism, is a natural thing and somehow written in our genes and inherited from our parents. Both of my parents were musical and, as a result, all of their children are (were) musical, despite the fact that my parents provided no musical encouragement other than to sing along with the car radio.

But I also think that people who aren't naturally imbued with rhythm can get a lot better at it by practicing.

Like Daryl and David, I never, ever think about strum patterns and timing issues. And the moment I DO think about these things, I feel like I've got a completely foreign instrument in my hands. There are songs I play that I never come close to playing the same way twice -- mostly because I just play what I feel.

[Music Junkie]

Lavallee wrote:

Music Junkie wrote:

Marc:

I think rhythm comes more easily to some than to others for sure. I can get the timing and the feel of a song very easily, but perfecting a certain strum pattern (especially the sixteenth notes when they are added in on certain parts of songs) can be very difficult. As a particular example, I would bring up Ventura Highway by America. Super easy set of chords and very easy rhythm to feel. Getting the strum spot on with the sixteenth notes is very difficult for me. If I dumb down the song a bit for a more campfire version, it is simple.

I don't know if I am understanding your question as it is intended, so I apologize if this response is out in left field..... :huh:

When I am learning a song, I start by figuring out the time signature, then the key, then I pick out the chords I need. After that, I can usually do a campfire version after little practice time. Getting the song down with varying strumming and picking individual notes with runs and embellishments can take me a lifetime.... I'll let you know if I ever get one right..... B)

Side Note:
The "Rhythm" is the biggest reason why I had to go left handed instead of trying to learn to play right handed. I have absolutely NO DAMN RHYTHM in my right hand..... It feels as though the right side of me does not even belong on the same body when I try to play right handed......sad......

Good question!

J

Hi Jason, this is a good point to consider the time signature at the beginning. I also generally have no problem with campfire song. My struggle is the same as yours with those 16th. I always seem to start too early or too late or rush through, or not feeling the pause between 2 notes , or not feeling a doted note

Interesting fact that you change side to go to the left because of the rhythm. Are you a natural lefty, or is it just for guitar?

Marc

Marc:

Yes, I am a natural lefty and severely so.... B)

Like the others have mentioned, I can pick up the bass and drums very quickly (the feel of them, not the ability to play them). Daryl mentioned not worrying about the 16th notes..... I get that part, as I try not to worry too much about them at the beginning of learning a new song. However, when I get to the point where I am trying to progress and push a song a bit further, I find myself missing some of the rests and such. I might hit an upstroke when there is not one, or miss an upstroke when there is one.... little things like that. I can slow things way down, and get a strum perfect most of the time. However, when I speed things up, it starts to fall apart on me. I might be able to get it right for a few measures, but it WILL fall apart.... :unsure: I chalk it up to lack of practice, like most other issues I have with the guitar...

J