The only guitarist to have had a style of rhythm guitar named after him, Freddie Green is purported to have said, 'You shouldn't hear the guitar by itself. It should be part of the whole. You only notice the guitar when its not there.'

Pretty cosmic concept if you think about it. And very true indeed. Wanna suck the groove out of any of your favorite rock, blues, soul or funk hit songs from the 60's on forward? Mute the rhythm guitar part. Case closed.

Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

About the Guitar Lesson Plan

Interactive Video Guitar Instruction

Consummate guitarist, educator and composer Adam Levy is your groove guide for these 50 Low-Down Rhythms You MUST Know. Adam is also a rhythm fanatic and monster player thereof, "Rhythm is the basis for all great guitar playing. The better your understanding of rhythm concepts, the deeper your groove. The deeper your groove, the better everything you play sounds."

Throughout 50 Low-Down Rhythms, Adam guides you on an illuminating learning adventure across the fretboards of the very best in the rhythm guitar biz. From Billy Butler's upbeat rhythm work on Honky Tonk, to Steve Cropper's moves and grooves supporting Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, to Cornell Dupree's soulful stylings, Leo Nocentelli's funky stuff with the Meters, Ry Cooder's rhythm guitar genius, the Beatle's hypnotic fingerstyle parts circa the White Album, Neil Young's double-drop-D tunings, Hidalgo/Rojas Los Lobos' two-guitar moves, Keith Richard's signature open G work, Jimi Hendrix's rhythmic magic, Bossa Nova chops ala Joao Gilberto, and tons of other rhythm guitar insight from lesser-known yet equally-skilled players -- it's all 'low-down' and it's all here.

You'll learn versatile rhythm parts with moving bass lines, rhythm parts that take very effective advantage of open tunings, easily movable partial-chord shapes, how to capitalize on the sound of open strings with a capo, how to decorate simple chords with hammer-ons and pull-offs, comping with sliding double-stops, layering parts with fingerstyle patterns, arpeggiating chords for texture, and best practices for combining lead and rhythm in your performances -- it's all 'low-down' and it's all here.

Dig deep into 50 Low-Down Rhythms You MUST Know and no one will ever think of muting your rhythm guitar tracks either.

About Your Instructor

Adam Levy

To call Adam Levy a "well-traveled musician" would be a hell of an understatement. During a six-year stint touring as a member of Norah Jones' Handsome Band, Levy went round the world several times and maxed out the pages of his passport—and then a second one—with country stamps and visas. He first played with Jones at the very beginning of the singer's career and went on to be the featured electric guitarist on her wildly successful first three albums and DVDs. Levy held the enviable gig through 2007, ultimately leaving to follow his own path as a performing songwriter.

Levy released two CDs under his own name while in Jones' band, and has continued to release new recordings annually since then—some featuring his lyrical songs, some wholly instrumental. His latest is The Heart Collector, praised by No Depression online as "a great album overflowing with warm and soulful songs that enchant the ears and captivate the heart." Other recent CDs include Washing Day and Live from Sun Studio—the latter tracked, of course, at the legendary Memphis mecca where Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley cut their first acetates.

Jones is not the only top-shelf artist whose music Levy has been party to. He can be heard on Tracy Chapman's New Beginning (that's Levy's laid-back blues solo on "Give Me One Reason"), Amos Lee's eponymous Blue Note debut (featured on the single, "Arms of a Woman"), Sex Mob's Din of Inequity, Ani DiFranco's Which Side Are You On?, and Anaïs Mitchell's Young Man in America. He has performed onstage with all of these artists—as well as with Rosanne Cash, Lisa Loeb, Dan Hicks, Darol Anger, Joey Baron, and many others.

Levy is also well-known as a writer and journalist, with articles appearing regularly in the pages of Guitar Player and Acoustic Guitarmagazines. And he has earned a reputation as an esteemed educator. He is the author of Jazz Guitar Sight-Reading (book) and Play the Right Stuff (book & DVD), and has led many workshops and masterclasses all across the U.S. and internationally.