TrueFire
Try For Free

Guitar Lab: Diamond Rock Rhythm

A study of straight eighth rhythm figures over a blues tonality

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

Get this course and 1,000+ more with All Access

Try 14 days free. Cancel any time.

Purchase Individual Course for $5.00
Guitar Lab: Diamond Rock Rhythm
Brad Carlton

Brad Carlton

Educator

multi genre

Genres

About this course

This course is a study of straight eighth rhythm figures over a blues tonality. You will learn how to count and perceive any combination of eighth note rhythms which will increase your inventory of options for both your rhythm and lead playing. You will also receive various arpeggios, scales, and modes which are applicable over this blues/rock style.

You will receive a backing track over which you will be able to play the ideas presented in this course. This track will be offered at three different tempos thus enabling you to get up to speed.

After you are grounded in eighth notes, you will learn how to count and play 16th notes as well as 16th note triplets.

The concept of limiting yourself rhythmically is a wonderful tool for focusing on note selection. This allows you to learn how particular scale degrees resolve as well as the various colors that can be created when using various arpeggio and scale approaches. From a phrasing standpoint, rhythm is critical for developing logical coherent melodic lines.

This course is designed as a companion course to my other rhythm study: Shuffle Secrets.

What you'll learn

  • Navigate between high and low sides of pentatonic scale positions
  • Play a 7 chord with no 3rd voicing cleanly
  • Create rhythmic variations by changing string choices
  • Create musical question-and-answer phrases using rhythmic figures
  • Control staccato vs. sustained chord articulation
Release date: 06/30/2012 • 3h 23m runtime
intermediatelate intermediateguitarelectric guitartechniqueapplied theoryreference
Start Course
Sample lessons
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Part I
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Part II
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Part III
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Straight Eighth Rhythm
Part IV

What's included

37 lessons • 2 charts • 21 Jam Tracks

Diamond Rock Rhythm
This course is a study of straight eighth rhythm figures over a blues tonality. You will learn how to count and perceive any combination of eighth note rhythms which will increase your inventory of options for both your rhythm and lead playing. You will also receive various arpeggios, scales, and modes which are applicable over this blues/rock style.

You will receive a backing track over which you will be able to play the ideas presented in this course. This track will be offered at three different tempos thus enabling you to get up to speed.

After you are grounded in eighth notes, you will learn how to count and play 16th notes as well as 16th note triplets.

The concept of limiting yourself rhythmically is a wonderful tool for focusing on note selection. This allows you to learn how particular scale degrees resolve as well as the various colors that can be created when using various arpeggio and scale approaches. From a phrasing standpoint, rhythm is critical for developing logical coherent melodic lines.

This course is designed as a companion course to my other rhythm study: Shuffle Secrets.
Straight Eighth Rhythm
This lesson presents a solid study of quarter notes and eighth notes. These two types of notes establish a rhythmic grid work within each measure. The backbeat will always be beats 2 and 4. These two beats provide a landmark or reference point which helps you keep track of where you are rhythmically. You will be encouraged to count along with the jam track. Then you will play deadened strings in a percussive style so that you are only focusing your ears on rhythm. This will develop accuracy of your inner clock as well as your strumming/picking hand. Your goal is to have rock solid steady time.
Straight Eighth Rhythm
The focus of this lesson is to take one eighth note and place it in each of the eight rhythmic slots in the measure. You will find that playing on the numbers will be easier than playing on the “ands”. Rhythmic precision is your goal throughout this lesson.
Straight Eighth Rhythm
The focus of this lesson is to play two consecutive eighth notes starting on each of the eight rhythmic slots in the measure. You will find that playing on the numbers will be easier than playing on the “ands”. Rhythmic precision is your goal throughout this lesson.
Straight Eighth Rhythm
The focus of this lesson is to play three consecutive eighth notes starting on each of the eight rhythmic slots in the measure. You will find that playing on the numbers will be easier than playing on the “ands”. Rhythmic precision is your goal throughout this lesson.
The Power Chord
The power chord is a great tonal foundation for many chords, arpeggios, and scales. Diagram one shows the root and fifth of an A5 over the entire fingerboard. This can be viewed as to separate diagonal layouts which move from left to right. The first diagonal layout starts in the fifth fret of the sixth string. As you move through the power chord arpeggio you will see the same shape appearing on each pair of adjacent strings. The intervals will be alternating perfect fifths and perfect fourths. The other diagonal layout starts on the 12th fret of the sixth string. This one is the reverse of the previous layout.
Shades of Blue
In this lesson I discuss the concept of moving through the tonal spectrum of the blues composite scale and the various principles of dominant versus minor blues tonality. This is important in aiding you to choose various colors for both your rhythm and lead playing.

+ 30 more lessons

Start Course

Reviews

8 results

alabubba

Verified buyer

09/10/25

Valuable Information

Brad never disappoints. As a songwriter, proper use of rhythm is of peak importance. As a guitarist, it's easy to get close to being excellent without ever quite reaching the desired musical goal. Brad has a way of putting the hay down where us goats can get it. I always learn things that improve my playing when I work on his courses. They are all that good.

carlos5759

12/21/22

A fist full of diamonds!

This is a fabulous course! It is a valuable course full of crucial information for guitarists of all levels ... and even more important ... it is a course full of FUN! This one by Brad Carlton will keep you coming back for more.

red52

10/15/20

Tough as a Diamond

Guitar players spend most of their time playing rhythmguitar unless you are BB King. When I was beginning, I missed this very important point and lived to regret it. This course is one of many that I bought to ensure that I would be a solid all around player. Brad Carlton focuses on straight time, no shuffles here as he covered that in another course. I highly recommend all level of players to get this if you may be slightly lacking in rhythm ability (most guitar players fall into this category but refuse to admit it).

Blues456

Verified buyer

10/04/20

Diamond rock rhythm is packed with useful information, I find myself using all the time.

KokniKol

02/13/19

All the rhythms you need!

I can't say enough good things about Brad, his teaching and this course. This course help me to realise that I WAS pretty bad at rhythms and timming. Brad is using slow and down to earth approach in his teaching. He likes to do unusual stuff at aproaching chords and chord shapes, which is great and in every lesson you will learn some bonus stuff. I recommend this course to everyone who is struggling with rhythm and timing. Cheers. :)

Stop searching. Start improving with All Access.

Try 14 days free. Cancel any time.

Learn MoreStart Free Trial