The metronome is a useful device to experiment with and add to some of the rhythm playing skills you’ve picked up by reading the previous blog posts. You can use it to learn how to play in time at a fairly advanced tempo, as you double up the speed.

How do we go about this? In earlier posts, we synchronised with the metronome to play one down stroke at every click. Now, we will be doing two downstrokes for every click of the metronome. For the sake of familiarity, we would be using the same chords as the ones used to play “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan – G Major, D Major, A Minor, and C Major.

However, we would employ an alternative way of playing these chords by placing your index finger across the strings, or barring them. This is why they are referred to as Barre Chords.

It’s very important for a rhythm guitar player to be able to maintain fast tempos. And that’s why this exercise is useful – it challenges your right hand to do things at double the speed that you’re normally used to. For now, use only downstrokes and develop a fast yet steady rhythm with them. In later blog posts, we’ll start to include upstrokes as well, to bring a more dynamic and fluid sound, with variations and a cyclic feel.

If you find this exercise difficult at first, it’s okay to slow the metronome down a bit, so you can play two strokes per click. But increase the speed gradually as you get more comfortable, measuring your progress with the metronome as you go on. It will help you develop fluency in rhythm. Keep reading to learn about grouping of notes in guitar, in the upcoming blog post.