Only when I decided to switch from focusing from lead to rhythm did I realize how neglected rhythm and strumming is. I get it! Soloing is cool and most electric guitarists pick up the instrument because they want to shred and be a badass. But I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for those who want to play rhythm to find rhtyhm focused lessons.
A lot of guitar channels may have a video or two that teaches basic strumming patterns and they’ll give tips on how to hold your pick and do better chord transitions, but they don’t usually go beyond that. It was hard enough finding a channel that gives me chords to actually practice strumming and chord changes with.
So for you rhythm guitarists out there who are tired of searching but are looking for actually playlists with more than a couple videos to help you progress, I’ve collected them below!
P.S. If you’re looking for an eBook that combined chord progressions and strumming patterns with many practical keys, and also goes over the theory of scales, chords, and timing, check out my book Rhythm and Chord Progressions.
Guitareo:
Rhythm Guitar Lessons
This playlist promises to give you a solid rhythm foundation so that you can play with others and get the gig. The first video goes over the importance of rhythm playing, and then each video goes over an important concept that will certainly help with your playing. Learn power chords, open chords and barre chords, the notes on the bottom two strings, and developing feel through this playlist.
Lauren Batemen:
Rhythm Guitar Series
This playlist is focused a lot on rhythm and strumming (as opposed to chords) and understanding how rhythm feels and figuring out which strumming patterns work. If you’re someone who has yet to learn about bars, beats and time signatures, she goes over these concepts with her guitar, and then goes on to demonstrate strumming patterns you could use and tips for palm muting.
GuitArmy:
Rhythm Guitar
If you’re looking for a channel with more exercises for you to practice with, this channel may be what you’re seeking. This playlist is a mix of genres, most of which are power chords and metal strumming, but they got exercises for regular chords as well.
Mark The Guitar Guy:
The Essentials Of Strumming
If you have your basic strums down and are looking to understand different strumming patterns for different contexts and genres, this can be an informative playlist for you. There is a lot of demonstrations and explanations for you. There aren’t any tabs or exercises for you to practice with though.
Good Guitarist:
Best Way To Practice Chord Switching + Essential Progressions
Here’s a channel I found while trying to find some actual exercise for myself. I included two of his playlists below. The first goes over chord switching, showing you similarities between chords to allow smoother transitions. The second gives you common progressions and a strumming pattern to practice with for about 5 minutes each. These are wonderful playlists if you’ve learned your basic chords but want an opportunity to really nail them and play them in a musical context.
LearnToPlayMusic.Com:
Guitar Lessons For Beginners
If you like the above recommendation and are looking for more strumming exercises, check out this playlist! These videos are about 20 seconds each and has no talking. Just the chords and strumming pattern and a metronome to practice with. After trying it out with the video, pull out your own metronome and work on each exercise for a couple minutes!
True Fire:
Rhythm Guitar Lessons
If you’re past the basics when it comes to chords and strumming, but want to learn more unique and funky patterns for your chords, here’s playlist with over 90 videos that reviews songs and shows you how they played certain pieces. This is especially great if you’re looking into picking patterns to try out
Ryan Kimm:
Rhythm Guitar Lessons
If you’re a guitarist who is specifically interested in country, blues, bluegrass and similar genres, here’s a great playlist for you. Lessons include alternating bass notes and lead licks between chord changes.
GuitarVersum Sandra Sherman:
Jazz Chords & Comping
If you’re interested in jazz guitar but can’t seem to find a complete playlist, why not check out this one? With about 50 videos, this list covers jazz chords, comping rhythms, strumming patterns, chord progressions, and pretty much everything you could possibly need. She covers the theory and provides exercises so you’re bound to feel confident when you reach the end.
Laux:
Metal Guitar In 6 Weeks
This playlist wasn’t made by the creator and it’s a bit out of order, but it’s alright! Learn about strumming, palm muting, and how to get the perfect tone for metal.
Conclusion
I hope this list has helped you find what you need. If you’re more of a beginner and you really want to build a foundation for strumming, and you want something with many exercises and songs for your skill level, I highly HIGHLY recommend Guitar Tricks!
I wasn’t even that big a fan of rhythm until I worked through their foundation courses and found how fun and cool rhythm guitar could be. There are additional lessons for almost every genre including metal, country, blues, jazz, soul and a huge song database with tutorials. Check out my article on my experience and use this link to get a 2-week full access trial. (As an affiliate, I may get financial compensation with no additional cost to you).
And as mentioned earlier, if you’d like something that you can print or pull up on your tablet and just expand your knowledge of chords, progressions, and strumming patterns, check out my book Rhythm and Chord Progressions.
Happy strumming!~