65horsepwr
Verified buyer
12/31/23
Take 5 courses are terrific
Picked this one to help with keeping in the pocket with good rhythm support. Really appreciate the focus with the "Take 5" courses by TrueFire!
Take 5: Pocket Rhythm
Accelerated Self-Study Program for Rhythm Guitar
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About this course
Whatever style of music you’re into, rhythm guitar is an essential component to finding the "pocket." When players mention "pocket", they’re talking about how the how each element in the band work together to build an irresistible groove. Without a deep pocket, a song never feels settled or dynamic. It’s the rhythm guitarist's job to make sure the pocket always feels great, which in turn enlivens the overall feeling of the music and helps glue it all together.
In this Pocket Rhythm edition of Take 5, Adam Levy shows you how to lock in the rhythm section and create a good "pocket" so you can be the guitarist that everybody wants to play with.
"We’ll start with a pocket rhythm primer. I’ll point out some recordings and players you should check out, share some ways to focus your practice, and pass on a few sonic tips and arranging approaches to help you craft your own compelling rhythm parts. I’ll then guide you through 5 performance studies, ranging from rootsy Americana and Memphis soul feels to more sophisticated ballads, slow jams, and jazzy R&B grooves."
Adam will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson. You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are included to work with on your own as well.
Grab your guitar and get in the pocket with Adam Levy!
In this Pocket Rhythm edition of Take 5, Adam Levy shows you how to lock in the rhythm section and create a good "pocket" so you can be the guitarist that everybody wants to play with.
"We’ll start with a pocket rhythm primer. I’ll point out some recordings and players you should check out, share some ways to focus your practice, and pass on a few sonic tips and arranging approaches to help you craft your own compelling rhythm parts. I’ll then guide you through 5 performance studies, ranging from rootsy Americana and Memphis soul feels to more sophisticated ballads, slow jams, and jazzy R&B grooves."
Adam will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson. You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are included to work with on your own as well.
Grab your guitar and get in the pocket with Adam Levy!
What you'll learn
- Navigate between different string sets and chord voicings fluidly
- Play smooth arpeggios in 12/8 time with consistent feel
- Apply chromatic voice leading between chords
- Use palm muting to create rhythmic articulation (long vs. short notes)
- Apply sonic and arranging techniques to craft compelling rhythm guitar parts
Release date: 12/12/2019 • 1h 41m runtime
Sample lessons
Level 3: Pocket Rhythm
Overview
Level 3: Pocket Rhythm
Performance
Level 3: Pocket Rhythm
Breakdown
What's included
18 lessons • 5 charts • 5 Jam Tracks
Take 5: Pocket Rhythm
Hi, I'm Adam Levy. Welcome to this Pocket Rhythm edition of Take 5! Whatever style of music you’re into, rhythm guitar is an essential component.
When players mention "pocket", they’re talking about how the how each element in the band (rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and so on) work together to build and irresistible groove. Without a deep pocket, a song never feels settled or dynamic. It’s our job to make sure the pocket always feels great.
We'll start this course with a quick primer where I talk about some of the great pocket-rhythm guitarists, who you should definitely check out. I also talk about how to develop a stronger sense of time and how to create rhythm parts that feel good, in any musical setting, and I’ll help you dial in a great tone as well. I'll then guide you through five pocket-rhythm performance studies, from basic to more sophisticated approaches.
All of the performance studies are tabbed and notated, and you'll have the jam tracks to work with on your own. You can loop and slow down the videos so you can work at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let's get started!
When players mention "pocket", they’re talking about how the how each element in the band (rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and so on) work together to build and irresistible groove. Without a deep pocket, a song never feels settled or dynamic. It’s our job to make sure the pocket always feels great.
We'll start this course with a quick primer where I talk about some of the great pocket-rhythm guitarists, who you should definitely check out. I also talk about how to develop a stronger sense of time and how to create rhythm parts that feel good, in any musical setting, and I’ll help you dial in a great tone as well. I'll then guide you through five pocket-rhythm performance studies, from basic to more sophisticated approaches.
All of the performance studies are tabbed and notated, and you'll have the jam tracks to work with on your own. You can loop and slow down the videos so you can work at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let's get started!
Pocket Rhythm Primer
Before we get into the five studies in this course, I just want to talk a little bit about what pocket means as it relates to the guitar.
Our job as pocket players is to make the music feel alive and cohesive. To maintain musical clarity, often the best tactic is to play parts that are simple and/or repetitive. Once the groove feels locked in, we can add more dimension with a few subtle variations or fills.
I can’t stress this enough: Listen to records that feature great rhythm guitar playing! You can learn so much just by checking out how exceptional players articulate rhythm, when they hold back and when they chose to do something a little flashy, the kinds of tones they dial in, which registers they play in, the types of chord voicing they use, and so on.
In this course, each of the five pocket-rhythm studies offers insights into a few of the key elements listed above. Tune up, and let’s get started!
Our job as pocket players is to make the music feel alive and cohesive. To maintain musical clarity, often the best tactic is to play parts that are simple and/or repetitive. Once the groove feels locked in, we can add more dimension with a few subtle variations or fills.
I can’t stress this enough: Listen to records that feature great rhythm guitar playing! You can learn so much just by checking out how exceptional players articulate rhythm, when they hold back and when they chose to do something a little flashy, the kinds of tones they dial in, which registers they play in, the types of chord voicing they use, and so on.
In this course, each of the five pocket-rhythm studies offers insights into a few of the key elements listed above. Tune up, and let’s get started!
Level 1: Pocket Rhythm
This Level 1 study is in the key of C with fairly straightforward chord changes. It has a rootsy vibe, somewhere between rock and R&B, inspired by Robbie Robertson's guitar playing in the Band. The study has three sections, each with its own distinctive rhythmic elements.
Level 1: Pocket Rhythm
One tricky thing about this study is the fretting-hand muting, which is achieved by lifting your fretting hand up almost immediately after the chord sounds. This puts a little air into the pocket. Your fingers don’t need to lift completely off of the strings. Lighten your pressure just enough to stop them from vibrating.
Level 1: Pocket Rhythm
The rhythm on the verse section (starting at 0:20 in the Performance) may be a little counterintuitive. In R&B styles, it’s common to play chords on the backbeats (beats two and four in each measure). Here, the emphasis is on the and of beats one and three. Practice until you can make this feel like the most natural thing.
Level 2: Pocket Rhythm
This Level 2 study was inspired by the playing of renowned Memphis studio guitarist Steve Cropper, who played guitar on — and co-wrote — hit songs by Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, and Eddie Floyd in the 1960s. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band.
Level 2: Pocket Rhythm
As with the Level 1 study, fretting-hand muting is essential here to make the pocket feel just right.
+ 11 more lessons
Reviews
10 results
Starglazer
Verified buyer
10/01/23
Good tittle
A great individual study coarse on very good website. Rhythm is great. Thanks.
soundingsource
Verified buyer
12/13/21
old school
clearly lays out a style of playing that I’ve always wanted to incorporate in my toolbox but never took the time to pursue
Osokin
Verified buyer
06/07/21
Play Rhythm In The Pocket!
If you want to strengthen your rhythm chops and delve into playing in the pocket , then this course by Adam Levy is really going to help you step up to the next level. The focus is mostly on the kind of accompaniment that was provided on many of the great soul classics - but once mastered these approaches can be adapted and applied to lots of different genres. Well worth checking out.
PaulJT
Verified buyer
05/25/21
Nice, Simple, Usable and Fundamental Rhythm Grooves
I have purchased a few of Adam Levy's course already; therefore, I already think him as an adequate instructor. Upon studying this course of Pocket Rhythm it is obvious to notice that these lessons are not intricate compared to other lessons in the intermediate range at TrueFire. So this is when feel comes to play and locking in is essential. Hence, it may seem rudamentary, but there is a lot more elegance of musicality in this course that meets the ear. I recommend this course for anyone looking for simple rhythmic hooks that can also stand alone.
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