From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Rhythm guitar refers to the role of the guitar in playing accompaniment in various musical styles. Typically the role of the rhythm guitars is to combine a rhythmic accent with simple or complex harmonies, as the song demands. There are a great many specific styles of rhythm guitar: Big Band, as exemplified by Freddie Greene of the Count Basie Orchestra; Western Swing as played by Eldon Shamblin of the Bob Wills Orchestra, or rock and roll music, as exemplified by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, to name a few.
In Rock and Roll, the role of the rhythm guitarist is typically expected to play a simple sequence of chordss around which the song is constructed. Often this chordal accompaniment is simplified to a cluster of two of three notes, sometimes called a "riff", that is repeated. In Jazz or Swing styles, the rhythm guitarist is also expected to integrate a moving bass or counter-melody in his or her playing.
