What kind of guitar player are you?

[JakeK]

What kind of guitar player are you? Are you mostly a rhythm player? A lead player? Do you combine rhythm and lead into one form of playing (like Pete Townshend)?

I'm sad to admit it, but I'm mostly a rhythm player. I've been playing rhythm for about 7 years now, and haven't stopped. I know too many chords for one man (although Tom Petty said George Harrison knew A LOT of chords), and I just do what I need to.

Lead playing is harder for me, I don't know my scales, but if you were to give me something, and teach it to me a few times, I could probably know it in a couple days. I'll venture out and do improv blues, too.

I'm mostly rhythm, and I'm happy to be that way.

[jimk]

Having been largely a soloist all these years, I'm comfortable switching between rhythm & lead. And that's the thing I've always liked best about playing finger style; you can do that easily. It also teaches you about the interrelatedness of the five basic chord shapes. (Flat picking should too, I guess. But I've never been much of a flat picker.)

And to make switching over to electric from acoustic finger picking, I've been working on hybrid picking for the last 2 years or so. And I'm making fair progress. (Rockabilly on a Rick 360/12 string, anyone? )

JimK

[captsandwich]

I am a ham-fisted power chord guitarist. I just turn it up and pound it out.
Technically speaking, I am lead guitarist in my band, but only because I was the second worst player when we formed. In my previous band, the singer/rhythm guitarist used to ask me 'Can you play that part a little prettier?' all the time. The standard responses were:1) You didn't think that was pretty? 2) You've heard me play before, right? 3) No.

[paologregorio]

Both. I don't play a lot of extended solos though-that stuff puts me to sleep. I play appetizer-type solos-just a taste ...and yes, I know; "appetizer" closely resembles the spelling of my surname.

[ozover50]

95% rhythm, 3% lead, 2% unknown fumbling..........

I'm basically rhythm in my band but I do arpeggio on a few songs...... Is that a form of lead?

[beatlefreak]

Mostly rhythm, though I can do some short leads if I sit down and figure then out.

[cjj]

A lousy one.

What can I say, I'm a bass player, those little bitty strings are too hard to find and there are just too many of 'em...

Still want to learn one of these days though.

[winston]

Both! Usually at the same time too. I play lead bass as well but not when I am playing lead guitar. Now wouldn't that be a trip?...........

[ajish4]

I can play 4 chords now, does that count?

[winston]

I can play 4 chords now, does that count?

Yep of course it does............how's that B7 coming along?

[captsandwich]

I can play 4 chords now, does that count?

Hell, that's one more than you need.

[ajish4]

I can play 4 chords now, does that count?

Yep of course it does............how's that B7 coming along?

MAN, that's a bugger!

I can play 4 chords now, does that count?

Hell, that's one more than you need.

LoL! Does that mean I'm a guitar player now?

[jdogric12]

To OP:

You tell me!

www.itrhymeswithorange.com

[Clint]

Most bands that I've played in, I was the lead guitarist. "Lead" guitar is really a misnomer, I mostly added little fills and riffs to accent the vocals or the rhythm. For the past ten years or so, I've played in trios or solo. I've noticed my rhythm has gotten more melodic and my solos have become more rhythmic, if that makes any sense.

[scotty]

I've noticed my rhythm has gotten more melodic and my solos have become more rhythmic, if that makes any sense.

That is so true as for me i suppose im a rhythm player whos still learning everyday......you decide? oh yes there some bum notes in there!