The Summer of Rhythm Guitar 2026: Take a Walk on the mild side

**sgcim** · 06-11-2026, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

For the non INSTA users, I think it's this video.

Starts playing Rhythm lesson at about 42 mins.

Edit: I think Herb states he is only using three note chords for his Jazz blues "Rhythm lesson" with bass.
Attachment 132960

These guys never mention that they use the up stroke on one in the faster strumming.as Herb did here. Everybody talks about the Freddie Green all down strokes on rhythm guitar and the same old stuff about the voicings which anyone that reads the Charlton Johnson book can learn very systematically, but I'm not even sure if he mentions the right hand strumming. I don't know where that book is now, the dog probably ate it years ago.

I was talking with a guitar/bass playing friend of mine about this, and we both studied as kids with well-known teachers in the NY area who never said a word about up stroke on one, down stroke on two etc... and my friend had to watch his teacher on gigs to learn it. He then spent 8 years on the road with Eddie Arnold, so he had to learn how to play that country style strumming from a guy like Jim Lance, who passed it on from Hank Garland, etc...

A lot of these guys grew up playing country music, Herb Ellis, Johnny Smith, Lenny Breau, Ed Bickert, and other than Lenny, they all played rhythm guitar in big bands later on, so it all came naturally to them. I had to learn it from a George Hess video, who I think studied with JS.
Speaking of Jphnny Smith here's a video of him playing rhythm guitar in 1982, and sure enough you can see him playing gently on a big electric archtop
(see if you can ID the guitar) using the up stroke on 1, downstroke on two. Unfortunately, he doesn't get a solo feature, while the pianist hogs two feature songs; another reason to hate those bastards. You can see him clearly on one of the med-up tunes in the beginning.:

Don't listen to the horn players, you might learn something : .)

**sgcim** · 06-11-2026, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by brent.h

I saw this upstroke-downstroke technique first on George Hess' channel. I thought it was quite an efficient way to play rhythm guitar, but because of my 'received-wisdom programming', I thought George was nuts! But if it works, it works.

Yeah, George is a weird guy. I made a comment on a You Tube video he made trying to get him to add a jazz guitar sound on MuseScore, and he just said he only did contract work for them 8 years ago.
I had two big band things this week, and I was able to play the fast stuff much easier than I had before. It felt really good with the better of the two bands, so playing with better rhythm sections helps.

**GuyBoden** · 06-13-2026, 08:02 AM

Herb's distinction between what he calls "Rhythm Guitar" and "Guitar Comping" is interesting.

After 40mins on the video, the "Rhythm Guitar" and "Guitar Comping" section of his tutorial.

**mr. beaumont** · 06-13-2026, 10:15 AM

This is the distinction (comping versus rhythm guitar) I've been going on about for years that I get a lot of pushback on! Good to hear an established gent such as Herb say it too.

As for the upstroke, Freddie probably didn't do it because he was so focused on that 4th string.

To my ears, it sounds better on a low volume electric archtop than on an acoustic archtop. Even minimal use of amplification seems to even everything out more, making the upstroke not sound too jarringly different.

There's also that possible upstroke on the and of 4 you hear Jim Hall do in the famous "My Funny Valentine" bit.

**AllanAllen** · 06-13-2026, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

There's also that possible upstroke on the and of 4 you hear Jim Hall do in the famous "My Funny Valentine" bit.

This one?

**mr. beaumont** · 06-13-2026, 10:17 PM

That's the one.

**charlieparker** · 06-13-2026, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Herb's distinction between what he calls "Rhythm Guitar" and "Guitar Comping" is interesting.

After 40mins on the video, the "Rhythm Guitar" and "Guitar Comping" section of his tutorial.

What minute? I couldn't find it.

**Mick-7** · 06-19-2026, 03:11 AM

I used only 3 note bass chords for my comping on this... well, there is a 4 note 7#9 chord in there but it's a blues so that's to be expected.

Blues for Spartacus - Box.com

**pamosmusic** · 06-19-2026, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

I got this book a while ago for a rhythm section I work with:

https://www.shermusic.com/9780991077335.php

I've always kind of wanted to go through it with guitar, so maybe I'll do that.

Alright … so this is a blues in A … progressively more chromatic approach notes for side slipping.

I am aware that this is not yet music. Moving on to phase two here shortly.

**joe2758** · 06-19-2026, 11:53 AM

That's cool, Pammo. I never really did more than the 1 fret one. I think the other ones sound better with the more rhythmic style at the end. Gunna try this. Stop teaching me I have too much to work on.

**joe2758** · 06-19-2026, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by brent.h

post something joe! join the club!

yeah maybe, i guess it has been a while. So is it just basically play through a tune in a FG style? Anything else? Seems people are including other things

**mr. beaumont** · 06-19-2026, 12:08 PM

Just play some rhythm guitar!

The only thing its not is pianistic "comping."

**GuyBoden** · 06-19-2026, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

Alright … so this is a blues in A … progressively more chromatic approach notes for side slipping.

I am aware that this is not yet music. Moving on to phase two here shortly.

Very similar to how I comp all the time in guitar duos, but I use Bass notes on some of the 'and' beats as 'Skips'. I played Double Bass for many years.

Edit: But, Trefor Owen is a master at this type of Rhythm Guitar.

**pamosmusic** · 06-19-2026, 06:22 PM

The next little chunk is:

Diatonic approach from above
Diatonic above chromatic below
Double chromatic above, chromatic below.

Im going to use diatonic chords for the diatonic approaches.

**joe2758** · 06-19-2026, 07:35 PM

meh

**GuyBoden** · 06-20-2026, 07:31 AM

Here's how I play 'Rhythm Guitar' on a Jazz blues, it's very bass note heavy, because I played Double Bass for many years.

It's played on my Green D'Aquisto archtop copy with my trusty Rode NT3 mic in the room.

Edit: The basic notation is shown below:
The Summer of Rhythm Guitar 2026: Take a Walk on the mild side-jazz-blues-g-png

The Summer of Rhythm Guitar 2026: Take a Walk on the mild side-jazz-blues-g-png

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Very similar to how I comp all the time in guitar duos, but I use Bass notes on some of the 'and' beats as 'Skips'. I played Double Bass for many years.

Edit: But, Trefor Owen is a master at this type of Rhythm Guitar.

I’m not sure who is who. The player accompanying first up is swinging really nicely there.

This isn’t really rhythm guitar as I understand it. More of a Joe Pass thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Here's how I play 'Rhythm Guitar' on a Jazz blues, it's very bass note heavy, because I played Double Bass for many years.

It's played on my Green D'Aquisto archtop copy with my trusty Rode NT3 mic in the room.

Edit: The basic notation is shown below:
The Summer of Rhythm Guitar 2026: Take a Walk on the mild side-jazz-blues-g-png

Sounding good!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**GuyBoden** · 06-20-2026, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

I’m not sure who is who. The player accompanying first up is swinging really nicely there.

This isn’t really rhythm guitar as I understand it. More of a Joe Pass thing.

Trefor Owen is playing 'Rhythm Guitar' first. Yes, he really swings to my ears too. I really enjoy playing guitar with Trefor.

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

Sounding good!

Many thanks, I've been practising. You'd never guess, but practising seems to work.

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 08:12 AM

This is how I'm playing these days. Quite old school. Notice that I'm using only grips from the Jonathan Stout hand out lol.

I was enjoying this gig honest. playing with Sousa is fun.

**GuyBoden** · 06-20-2026, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

This is how I'm playing these days. Quite old school. Notice that I'm using only grips from the Jonathan Stout hand out lol.

I was enjoying this gig honest. playing with Sousa is fun.

Excellent, very enjoyable. Yes, fun.

Great Tune.

You make it look so easy, then just throw in a chord solo.

I've got to say the Tuba is fantastic.

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by GuyBoden

Excellent, very enjoyable. Yes, fun.

Great Tune.

You make it look so easy, then just throw in a chord solo.

I've got to say the Tuba is fantastic.

Yeah Graham Hughes is one of the best. Great time, which isn't easy on Tuba (or Sousa).

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 08:29 AM

And here's a bit on a Sel-mac style guitar. Happy with the live sound on this one. Tonedexter through an AER alpha, and the PA.

I generally aim for more of 30's rhythm guitar sound than a more modern Manouche one.

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2026, 08:34 AM

And to give you a break from me, here is one of the modern masters, Julien Cattiaux from Paris with the amazing Adrien Moingard on lead (my mate Marcus Penrose on bass.)