The Lead Guitar and The Rhythm Guitar

Lead guitar and Rhythm guitar. You’ve heard about both, but aren’t quite sure of the difference between the two. That’s understandable, as most beginners (myself included when I was at that stage) are confused by all of the different terms used to describe guitar related things. In this lesson, we’ll go over both the Lead and Rhythm guitar.

The Lead guitar

To put it simply, the Lead guitarist in a band is the one who plays melodies, single notes (and not as many chords), riffs and solos.

Lead guitarists are responsible for providing the most noticeable guitar sound of the song. As a result, lead guitarists must master several more techniques than rhythm guitarists must. These techniques include the basics such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends and slides, plus more advanced techniques like arpeggios and trills.

Lead guitarists are, essentially, in the spotlight. They have to be very skilled, as if they mess up, it’ll be pretty noticeable to those listening. They also must be able to improvise–they must be able to come up with catchy riffs, solid solos and good melodies. It takes a lot of practice and knowledge to become a skilled Lead guitarist.

The Rhythm guitar

You’re probably thinking by now that the Rhythm guitar is much easier to play than the Lead guitar is. That isn’t an accurate statement, though. Rhythm guitarists, too, must master several things that Lead guitarists really don’t have to.

Rhythm guitarists are responsible for the timing (rhythm) of the music. They must play the chords that hold the music together. Without a good Rhythm guitarist, the music as a whole suffers no matter how good the Lead guitarist is.

Rhythm guitarists must master the ability to switch quickly and efficiently between chords. They must also be able to strum well and must master the basic hammer-on, pull-off, slide, and bend techniques. Rhythm guitarists must also make sure that what they are playing is in sync with what the drummer and bassist are playing

While Rhythm guitarists play an integral role in the music, they are often overlooked. This is because the Lead guitarist’s playing (which is usually amped louder so that it can be heard over the drums and Rhythm guitar) often overshadows what the Rhythm guitarist does.

Which should I learn to play?

The most skilled guitarists, in my opinion, are those who have the ability to play both Lead and Rhythm guitar. For that reason, it is worth mastering both styles of guitar. That is to say, it is a terrific idea to master not just the techniques associated with Lead guitar(all the basics plus trills, arpeggios and other advanced techniques) but also those associated with Rhythm guitar(the basics plus quick chord switching, good strumming and good timing). Those guitarists who have mastered both techniques are highly skilled musicians.