Sound Like Pro! Use Dynamics
This article describes the use of dynamics to enhance your guitar playing. Highlighted here is part of a conversation I had with my friend Simon Candy from acousticguitarlessonsonline.net during a Rhythm Guitar Talk live session. In that session, we each devised our top five ways to become a better rhythm guitar player. Simon referenced the use of dynamics as one of his top five. Simon mentioned that dynam-ics are an easy way to make your rhythm guitar playing sound better instantly and with minimal effort.
Dynamics are not a single action. Simon explained different aspects of dynamics and demonstrated what they sound like. He said, "...dynamics are so so so so important…one of the major things that makes…one of those differences between pro versus amateur…which it doesn't necessarily mean or in my book doesn't mean you know someone who goes out and plays gigs and gets paid versus someone who sits home and plays. It's how you sound when you play." He went on to say that dynamics are something that you can use immediately to improve and make a difference in your playing. You need to be aware of them.
For example, Simon demonstrated some up-and-down strumming very evenly and at the same volume. He explained that there are a few different ways to think about dynamics; the obvious one is volume. When playing loud, soft, or somewhere in between, there is a dynamic volume range across the song being played. Not all parts are equal in volume. It is more about the attack applied to the guitar strings at the moment that can vary the volume. Whatever is being played at the time, you may use dynamics within a single bar or even a few beats. Not all parts will be equal, and there are different ways to work with dynamics.
However, you don't want to throw out strumming altogether. You do not want to strum the whole song at the same volume. If you were to record like that, the resulting waveform would look like a thick line, which is not very musical. Seeing or hearing peaks and troughs is far more interesting and musical.
Additionally, you do not necessarily need to hit all the strings with every single strum. Hitting only some of the strings can create an accent to the strumming pattern, depending on what you want to pop out. Sometimes, target the lower strings on certain strums and sometimes the top strings on others. Here, your strumming sounds more dispersed as opposed to just hitting all the strings with every down and every upstroke.
Another dynamic element is palm muting on certain parts. It works well for rhythm parts to get that punch and dynamic. It is a common technique heard frequently in some of the Blues.
Varying the volume by varying the force applied to the strings it also makes a difference to the sound depending on the pick that you use. Simon demonstrated using a pick that was about .75 to 1 mil thick. He explained that using a thicker pick might sound a bit heavy. It can sound different even if you have the same gauge pick of another type, brand or shape. He advises finding a pick for which you like the sound it produces.
Simon does much of his strumming with a pick, but not always. He will play some strings with just the back of his nails because it produces a sound he likes. He demonstrated strumming with the pick, but he used just the back of his nails on certain down beats. Similarly, dynamics occur when picking out single notes as opposed to strumming. Mixing these things creates a notable dynamic as well. It's not always just about volume, although that is an extremely important dynamic.
It is easy to forget about dynamics and target strumming, a basic guitar skill. But it is also essential to consider why and how some people can produce great sounds. The addition of dynamics from volume to type of pick, using fingers, palm mutes, and the like, makes these guitar players sound amazing. The takeaway is that dynamics helps with all guitar playing, not just rhythm guitar.
Remember to always have fun with your guitar and I’ll see you next time…
If you are looking to learn another excellent rhythm guitar skill, you can check out my FREE lesson on how to weave lead guitar melody lines to your rhythm guitar playing here: https://rhythmguitarlessons.net/Pro
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About Mark Turko: Mark Turko is a professional guitar player and instructor with over 30 years of experience and teaches guitar lessons online.