What rhythm parts will help me find an effortless motion?

General Music Discussion
#1

A while ago someone here suggested learning songs that have a rhythm part which would be helpful in building stamina. It’s only now, a few years later, that I am getting into this.

I have been learning White Zombie’s Cosmic Monsters Inc. It’s not technically difficult, but it gives you a decent workout as the tempo is 90bpm and mostly 16th notes.

What I’m looking for is suggestions of songs with good rhythm parts to help build stamina. I’m not really into metal so I have no idea what would be beneficial to learn.

#2

Master of puppets would be a challenge! I can’t play it myself, with all downstrokes at least, but a good challenge for sure

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#3

Some fun songs there!

Definitely a bummer, lots of great things to pull from metal guitars.

For some reason when I saw this, first song that came to mind as rhythm practice:

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#4

I like the idea of practicing rhythm parts because the accents give you something to lock into, they’re really physical and fun. Stuff like “I’m the one” by VH and some Yngwie riffs like Little Savage and Don’t Let it End come to mind.

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#5

Never thought about Yngwie! I would associate him with lead guitar rather than rhythm parts. I will look into those tunes - which are both great songs!

#6
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#7

this sounds like a perfect workout. thanks.

#8

Not sure where the line is between metal and hard rock for you (Since you mentioned you aren’t into metal)

Here are some ozzy tunes with fun rhythm parts that are long enough they should help with stamina. Also there is enough variety between palm muted parts, chords and riffs that should check that ‘accuracy’ box. To me these are firmly in the “rock” genre and are not metal

Bark at the Moon
Crazy Train
I Don’t Know
Miracle Man

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#9

I somehow missed this part when suggesting master of puppets :joy:.

Some good suggestions so far though. Definitely second the recommendation of bark at the moon and crazy train. Sort of blurring the line between metal and hard rock

#10

Bark at the Moon is definitely a good work out - and great solo too. I can just about play it up to tempo, after years of playing it at the slower pace.

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#11

Not sure if you’ve seen this (comes up high in the searches) but I found this interesting:

I definitely was not playing all the chords the same way he was back in High School when I learned this tune. Pretty cool voicings he’s doing!

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#12

Pretty much anything Angus Young did. Seriously - the rhythm to Thunderstruck is a masterpiece in pocket and precision…and it’s a beast to play well.

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#13

Editorial note :slight_smile:

In most rhythm guitar applications, “building endurance” might be the wrong way to think about it. It’s more like “finding a way to do the motion that is as effortless as possible, so that you can keep it going for long”.

So, once again, it’s more about experimentation and problem solving than athletic training.

The idea of building endurance has the same drawback of the classic “gym mentality applied to guitar”: we tend to focus on doing repetition after repetition without actually addressing the root of the problem, which may be that the motion used is just inefficient / incorrect, and it will remain inefficient/incorrect also after a million repetitions.

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#14

From a slightly different angle, the 2nd verse of Purple Haze has some mid speed picking that is worth getting down lest you become one of those people who can play fast but not slower.

Almost any Van Halen track is worth learning the rythm part, the bridge from Unchained is a particularly good lesson.

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#15

Truth. He was such a fantastic soloist that plenty of people don’t even realize what a brilliant rhythm player he was. Easily one of the all time great rock rhythm guitarists.

The intro and verses in Unchained are cool too, so is Panama and the lesser known “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” (that last one isn’t the coolest tune or anything, but the rhythm work is super creative.

Also, I found this rando Unchained tribute on soundslice :grin:

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#16

I mean, if you’re not metal-adverse, and you want to develop a fast, efficient, and heavy picking hand, the entire Master of Puppets album is pretty much the gold standard.

After that, I’d toss out “Holy Wars,” and - while Schaeffer has pretty thoroughly torched his reputation thanks to a wee bit o’ violent insurrection, “Night of the Stormrider” was another album that my thrash guitarist friends always talked about as basically boot camp for thrash rhythm.

That said - there’s clearly a LOT more ways to be a great rhythm guitarist, than to be a great thrash guitarist.

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#17

Steamrock Fever from the Scorpions, downstrokes. Any Misfits or Ramones song, downstrokes. Do upstrokes too! :slight_smile:

Thieves and Liars from Ministry.

Pretty much any Sepultura song from Beneath the Remains or Arise.

Set the World Afire from Megadeth is a good one.

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#18

Never Die by Yngwie is tricky in all the right places.

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#19

Thanks folks, lots of good suggestions here.

The only Iced Earth song I have tried to play is Dracula. I find the heavy part hard to play at that tempo for the length of the song.

I found another one Europe - Scream Of Anger. Lots of 16th note picking and it is reasonably uptempo.

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#20

Lots of Iron Maiden…?

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