Karice

A Guitar fan said something like,"The difference between Lead Guitar and Rhythm Guitar is simple. Lead Guitar is "Ting, ting, ting, and Rhythm Guitar is,"Deng deng deng!" I personally agree with what the Guitar Fan said. How about you?

Roguette

Ok is this something like comparing Slash vs Jeff Hanneman? or Alvin Lee vs Dave Grohl?

Oh wait. Mark Knopfler vs Mark Knopfler, now there's a CLASSIC case of ting ting ting vs deng deng deng

Karice

Is Mark both a rhythm guitar player and a lead guitar player?

Roguette

Sorry for being so late to respond, was out of town and then SO many things going on after. Mark played some rhythm early on but I can't really say if he has any well known recordings out where he was playing both rhythm and lead. Like on 'Sultans Of Swing" he first played some rhythm but on the final release version maybe he only played lead? My personal opinion (yes a lil hero worship) is that he has done everything that one person can do in regard to music....well I don't know if he ever played drums or piano but for sure he can do anything with a guitar (and a recording studio) that can be done.

But what I'm gonna do this week or weekend is watch a bunch of Knopfler videos and try to see if I can catch him playing rhythm on any of them

Tokushi

The description you provided is a very simplified and somewhat humorous way to differentiate between lead and rhythm guitar, but it doesn't capture the full complexity of these roles in a band or musical context.

In reality, lead guitar and rhythm guitar serve distinct roles in a musical composition:

Lead Guitar:

The lead guitar typically plays melodies, solos, and improvisations that stand out and take the spotlight.
Lead guitarists often use techniques like bends, slides, and vibrato to add expressiveness to their playing.
They may also use effects like distortion or wah-wah to create a distinctive tone.
Lead guitar parts are often intricate and can be the "singing" voice of the music.
Rhythm Guitar:

Rhythm guitar provides the harmonic and rhythmic foundation of the song.
It plays chords and strums in a way that complements the beat and groove of the song.
Rhythm guitarists often focus on maintaining a steady tempo and creating a full, textured sound with the chords they play.
While rhythm guitar may not always be as flashy as lead guitar, it's essential for keeping the song together.
So, while it's a fun way to simplify the difference, both lead and rhythm guitar are integral parts of a band's sound, and they each have their unique contributions to the music. The distinction goes beyond just "ting, ting, ting" and "deng, deng, deng."
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Norg

How does iron maiden work with 3 guitar players ???

To rhythms and 1 lead ????

Karice

Guns N'Roses has a similar setup. Richard is Rhythm Guitar, Duff is Bass Guitar, Slash is Lead Guitar.

Roguette

That's my FAVORITE kind of Rock-Metal-whatever, two guitarists on rhythm or bass. But also like Karice alluded to, bass is also a rhythm guitar. ELO, Don't Bring Me Down. Metallica, Enter Sandman? But as I was saying up front, I just LOVE when Judas Priest or Guns n Roses or other bands load up the stage with guitar, the power of rhythms and bass vibrating everything in my head. I love that usually more than the lead guitar, most of my focus is on what the rhythms are doing to push the vocals into that extra sphere of something. But ok I'm blabbering. I mean like here at about 4:40 or a little after when the bass rises up (there are better examples but this is what I have on my phones right now).....

[youtube]gDCLXTOvRBw/youtube]

Roguette

OOOH and THIS one, LOVE this for the guitars as much as the vocals, though both are awesome (click the 'watch on youtube' link)

Norg

i meant they have 3 guitar players and 1 bass player


thats alot of guitar layers