freddy1961
Verified buyer
11/22/25
👍
a good course, top 👍
50 Low-Down Rhythms You MUST Know
Crucial phrases, concepts and rhythm guitar techniques you MUST know
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About this course
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.
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.
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.
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.
What you'll learn
- Play a tight, concentrated rhythm part using first inversion triads
- Play a funk rhythm pattern with sliding double stops
- Create sophisticated harmonic sounds using simple, movable voicings
- Understand how to stay in your lane within a full band arrangement
- Develop a more languid, relaxed approach to funk rhythm
Release date: 03/19/2013 • 2h 39m runtime
Sample lessons
John’s Mum
Rhythm 18
Whatchamacallit: Chorus
Rhythm 20
The Sophisticate: Verse
Rhythm 24
The Sophisticate: Bridge
Rhythm 25
What's included
52 lessons • 50 charts • 50 Jam Tracks
50 Low Down Rhythms
Tonky Honk
In the mid 1950s, organist Bill Doggett had an instrumental hit called "Honky Tonk, Pt. 1." It had a particularly deep and infectious blues groove - thanks largely to guitarist Billy Butler. This lick was inspired by Butler’s rhythm work on the original record. The root of each chord is on the upbeat, not the usual downbeat. That gives the whole progression a nice bounce.
Duck Diver
Some songs call for a low, steady rhythm, with wallto-wall eighth notes. In such situations, the bassist is often playing the same line verbatim - or slightly simplified. Bass and guitar in tandem can be a powerful sound. Pick this lick with all downstrokes for maximum drive.
Man of Soul
Guitarist Steve Cropper recorded "Soul Man" with Sam & Dave in 1967. Cropper’s sliding-6ths intro is instantly recognizable by just about anyone. His groove in the verses is less famous but equally cool. This lick will give you an idea of what he was up to. Triads are the whole shebang here - two G major shapes with an A minor to pass between them.
Sing It Happy: Verse
Here’s another lick from the Steve Cropper trick-bag, based on a song he recorded with Otis Redding. Everything here is built on 6th intervals. At first, we follow the song’s chord progression (F# - E - D) down the neck with 6th shapes. Then we climb back up on the static D7 chord. Play the lower note in each pair with your pick, and pluck the high note with your ring or middle finger.
Sing It Happy: Chorus
The Happy Song-chorus loop File name: xx Unlike the verse section of "Sing It Happy," which is relies on upper-register 6th intervals, here we have a bonafide Low-down lick that’s simple and joyful. Notice that - within the main two-bar phrase - bar 1 starts on the downbeat, while bar 2 stars with an anticipation from the previous bar. Think on that when creating your own variations.
She’s Sweet
Once again, we turn to Steve Cropper for inspiration. His work with Otis Redding is an encyclopedia of no-nonsense rhythm guitar. This lick is the kind of thing Cropper would play to fire-up a mid-tempo song. Notice the accents on beats two and the and of three, rather than the typical two and four. That emphasis is the heart and soul of this lick.
+ 45 more lessons
Reviews
17 results
brosblues
Verified buyer
11/14/22
Excellent coverage of a wide range of rhythm licks and techniques. I have just started to navigate the course, but the Honky Tonk ("Tonky Honk") progression is excellent especially the hint to execute the long b7 stretch in Billy Butler's rhythm which is quite difficult for me.
JThompsonUK
12/29/21
50 low down rhythms you must know
Having joined trufire, I had been checking out some courses and decided to treat myself to some of the 50 rhythm/ lick videos I fancied whilst sales were on. This course covers a lot of styles and gives examples to some classic and lesser encountered rhythms that can inspire the average player to try something new :) These type of video mean you can also pickup some new moves without any complex theory or needing to go through other parts of the course :) A win at the price
superbeatnik
05/08/21
Sweet sweet rhythm grooves!
It’s easy to get pulled down the path of flash over substance in your guitar learning, to pulling off a riff at 120 miles an hour that blisters your fingers and causes your amp to smoke. However, the true master can play with meaning at any speed. Adam Levy is the Keeper of All Things Soulful, and he will take you down the path of heart and show you that a solid rhythm can lay the foundation in a way that flashy solos can’t touch. One of the must-have courses in my book.
Halmer
Verified buyer
05/08/20
Adding tools to the Musical Toolkit.
Given that we spend much of our time playing rhythm guitar, Adam Levy offers simple, but practical approaches to make your playing more effective. Sometimes simple is better, allowing the tune to breath....great course!
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