Rhythm Tip: Staying in Time (Form)

It’s challenging for new players to stay in time with the band (live or backing track). Listening more closely to the band while you play is key. The band will commonly play pickups to major chord changes (commonly the I Chord in bar 1, the IV Chord in bar 5, and the V Chord in bar 9). These pickups help telegraph when they’re changing chords. These chord changes act like signposts—use them to your advantage. Highlight what you play on the downbeats of bars 1, 5, and 9 and listen carefully to the band in the preceding bars for any hints (pickups) when the chord change is about to happen. If you slip out of time, these are the areas that you can move back into time (there is commonly rest before these areas—this is a perfect time to allocate all your brain power to listening to the band).