Video lesson: learn the number one missing guitar skill

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Understand and master rhythm in all your playing with these simple exercises

This week Guitar Mastery's Claus Levin is looking at the skill every musician needs, and he's got some simple but essential exercises to learn it… 

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This exclusive MusicRadar video lesson is brought to you in association with our friends at Guitarmastery.net. Check out their site for more lessons and courses.
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Over the last two decades I have been lucky enough to study hundreds of aspiring guitar masters and the number one challenge for almost all of them has been lack of rhythm skills.

If you could wave a magic wand an become an instant master of rhythm right now, your playing would be almost unrecognisable. And I mean ALL of your playing – soloing, rhythm guitar, finger picking… all of it.

Rhythm is probably what holds us back more than anything else

Rhythm is probably what holds us back more than anything else... just think about it; rhythm makes up 50% of the musical equation so whatever you are practicing or listening to, at least 50% of it is pure rhythm.

The great news is that mastering rhythm is easily learned and you can practice it without your guitar.

Start by tapping your foot on the 1,2,3,4, then when try tapping or singing them as well as the subdivisions in between – this is a 16th note rhythm 

Start by tapping your foot on the 1,2,3,4, then when try tapping or singing them as well as the subdivisions in between – this is a 16th note rhythm  (Image credit: Guitar Mastery)

The odd or uneven subdivisions explained in the video count on three instead of the even rhythm’s two

The odd or uneven subdivisions explained in the video count on three instead of the even rhythm’s two (Image credit: Guitar Mastery)
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