12 Weeks
Level 2
3-Credit Tuition
$1,545Non-Credit Tuition
$1,290The importance of the rhythm guitar cannot be underestimated. In the 'groove' genre, the greatest recordings of James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Herbie Hancock, Government Mule, John Scofield, Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Soulive demonstrate that a tight, grooving rhythm section is absolutely essential. Rhythm and Groove Guitar provides guitarists with a strong set of rhythmic and chordal tools that are the foundation of groove-based music, but can be used to further any style of music.
You'll start by expanding your chord knowledge and constructing original rhythm guitar grooves using Root 5, Root 6, Major7, Minor7, and Dominant 7th chords. By playing along with artist recordings, groove loops, and instructor-generated exercises, you'll learn how to effectively use tension, muted rhythms, repetition, and chordal licks (hammer-on / pull off) to your advantage. The course then moves on to address more advanced rhythm techniques, including syncopation, triplets, right hand techniques, and diatonic harmony. The rhythmic foundation you build in this course will help further your improvisational abilities in a duet setting, as well as strengthen your solo playing.
By the end of the course, you will learn to:
- Create your own rhythms and grooves
- Play in 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 12/8, 5/4, and 7/4 time signatures
- Use chords such as altered dominant and dominant chords with tensions in your rhythm playing
- Use picking lines, single-note rhythmic patterns, and double stops
- Progress from simple to complex rhythmic grooves
- Learn rhythmic exercises to strengthen both your right- and left-hand playing
- Use effects such as wah-wah to enhance your rhythm playing
Syllabus
Lesson 1: Getting Started with Groove
- Note and Rest Values
- Playing Exercise: James Brown "The Payback"
- Playing Exercise: Phish – Tweezer
- Constructing and Tailoring Original Guitar Grooves
- Playing Exercise: Constructing Grooves
- Chord Types and Forms: Root 5 and Root 6 of Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7, Dominant 7#9 and Dominant 7sus4.
- Playing Exercise: Chord Types
- Assignment: Create a Rhythm Guitar Part in C7
Lesson 2: Constructing Grooves with Movable Chord Forms
- Chord Types: Dominant 7th and Dominant 79
- Playing Exercise: Cycle 4
- Playing Exercise: Chord Inversions
- Dominant 79 Chord Tones
- Practicing Movable Forms
- Practice Exercise: Guitar Grooves and Jam Licks in Two Different Styles
- Cream – Toad
- Herbie Hancock
- Playing Exercise: Constructing Grooves
- Jamming for Fun
- Electronic Jam in C
- Funky Groove in E
- Assignment: Analysis of Prince Rhythm Playing
Lesson 3: Creating Grooves with Dominant 7 Chords
- Unique Ways to Get Inspiration
- Playing Exercise: Repetitive Guitar Grooves
- Gov't Mule: Mr. Big
- James Brown: Papa Don't Take No Mess
- Playing Exercise: Chord Types
- John Scofield: Hottentot
- Playing Exercise: Dominant 7#9
- Herbie Hancock: Hang Up Your Hang Ups
- Warm-Up Exercises
- Playing Exercise: All Six Chord Forms
- Playing Exercise: Dominant 7 13
- Assignment: Gold Digger
Lesson 4: Muted Rhythms and Scratch Guitar
- Muted Rhythms and Scratch Guitar
- Muted Rhythm Exercise
- How to Develop an Original Style
- Minor 7 and Minor 79 Chords
- Playing Exercise: Constructing Grooves with Dminor 79
- Playing Exercise: Stylistic Chordal Lick (Hammer-on / Pull–Off) for Minor7th chord
- Jazz Funk Loop
- Soulive – Flurries
- Assignment: Twelve-Bar Minor Blues
Lesson 5: Combining Chord Forms and Rhythm
- Minor 7 Chord with Tension 11
- Dominant 7 (sus4) with Tensions 4 and 11
- Playing Exercise: Chord Forms
- Popular Muted Rhythms
- Flood in Franklin Park by Grant Green
- Assignment: Record a Rhythm Track With Grant Green Chord Progression
- Assignment: Record a Rhythm Track with C7sus4 Loop
Lesson 6: Sixteenth-Note Rhythms
- Constructing Grooves
- Hottentot with added bridge
- Practice Exercise: E7sus4
- Rhythm Practice Tips
- Playing Exercise: Muted Rhythms with Sixteenth Notes
- Uberjam
- Scofield: I Break for Monster Booty
- Assignment: Create Your Own Groove
Lesson 7: String Combinations, Picking Lines, and Double-Stops
- Learning New Licks
- More on Major7th
- Diatonic Harmony
- Major 7 Loops
- Muted Rhythm Exercises
- Rhythm Guitar Techniques
- Assignment: Record Golden Lady Changes
- Assignment: Record with Cmaj7 Loop
Lesson 8: Converging Concepts in Rhythm
- Converging Concepts in Rhythm Technique
- Playing Exercise: Miles Davis
- Playing Exercise: Medeski Martin and Wood
- Eighth- and Sixteenth-Note Rhythm Combinations
- Assignment: Black Satin
- Assignment: Syncopation
Lesson 9: Triplets and Diatonic Harmony
- Diatonic Harmony with Tensions
- Triplet Introduction
- Triplet Exercise
- Picking Lines
- Picking Line Degree Chart
- Assignment: Compose Picking Lines
Lesson 10: Bass Lines and Effects
- Fourths
- Bass Ideas
- Playing Exercise: Jam with Sax
- Eighth-Note Triplets
- Rhythm Exercises
- Adding Note Patterns
- Eighth Note Triplets in 3/4 Time
- Assignment: Jamming with Saxophone
Lesson 11: Right-Hand Snap and Rhythm Duets
- Suggestions for practicing rhythmic duets
- More picking lines
- Playing Exercise: Minor 69 loop
- Right-Hand Pluck and Snap
- Assignment: Jam with Instructor
Lesson 12: Putting it All Together
- Playing Exercise: Constructing Grooves with Plucks
- More Rhythm Patterns
- 4-Bar Patterns
- Open Strings within Chord Forms
- Assignment: Compose an Original Groove
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
Completion of Guitar Chords 101 and Guitar Scales 101 or equivalent knowledge and experience is required. This course requires that you have one year of playing experience, a working knowledge of guitar playing, and a basic knowledge of guitar chords.
Textbook(s)
- No textbooks required
Recording
- Students are required to record video while performing with a backing track for their assignments. Options for recording video include:
- Smartphone
- Digital camera
- Webcam (using either video recording software, or the video recording tool that is built into the learning environment)
Instrument
- Electric or acoustic guitar
- Recommended: Wah-wah pedal
Hardware
- Students are required to capture their instrumental performance, as well as monitor audio output. Options include:
- Input (one required):
- Instrument connected directly to audio interface (recommended electric option; alternatively, the microphone options below can be used with amplified instruments)
- XLR microphone and audio interface (recommended acoustic option)
- USB microphone
- Built-in computer/mobile device microphone
- Output (one required):
- Headphones (recommended option; required if multitracking and/or input monitoring a microphone)
- Studio monitors and audio interface
- Built-in or external speakers
- Input (one required):
- Note: Depending on your setup, you may also need XLR/instrument cables and a microphone stand.
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author
Bruce Bartlett has been an associate professor and clinician in the Berklee College of Music Guitar Department for 15 years. His band, the Bruce Bartlett Trio, has played nationally and internationally and released three albums.
Bruce began his career as a recording session guitarist at the age of 19, working for producer Arthur Baker in New York City. He played rhythm guitar for several underground recordings for R&B artists in the early 80s. More recently, he recorded a live performance DVD with John Blackwell (drummer for Prince). He also composed most of the material, along with being a featured soloist for Modern Drummer Festival 2000 at Montclair University in New Jersey.
His sideman and leader work includes performances at the Boston Globe Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Quebec Jazz Festival, and Indonesia Jazz Festival. Bruce has opened for Weather Report and Hirman Bullock, and performed with Chick Corea on Chick Corea Day, in Chelsea, MA, in 2001. Recently, Bruce performed with Zigaboo Modeliste (original drummer of Meters) and is in the process of recording his eighth solo record of original music. Read Less
Instructor
Kevin Belz is a versatile and well-rounded musician with years of playing experience, including extensive touring both internationally and nationally. Some of the names he has recorded with and/or played with include New Orleans piano great and legend Henry Butler, Susan Tedeschi from the Derek Trucks Tedeschi band, Blues great Duke Robillard, Ellis Hall of the Tower of Power band, Mighty Sam McClain, and Handy Award nominee Toni Lynn Washington, to name a few. He has shared the stage with Blues legend, BB King, Buddy Guy, and Ray Charles. He has also toured, performed, and recorded with “ The Commander Cody Band” playing a mix of Country, Western Swing, and rockabilly.
Along with his full schedule at Berklee as Assistant professor in the Guitar Department teaching Jazz, Rock and Blues styles, he also has a full schedule of playing live shows and records in and around the New England area. He has been a regular faculty member at Berklee College for the past 18 years. Read Less
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Rhythm and Groove Guitar can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
