Progression-Based Rhythm Builds: From Single-String Grooves to Full Riffs

How to Use This Progression

This chapter consolidates your rhythm skills into a single, measurable path: you will take one rhythmic idea and “scale it up” from a single string, to chord progressions, to short riffs. The point is not learning new techniques, but proving control under increasing musical complexity.

• Work in tiers. Do not move on until you meet the pass criteria.
• Use a metronome or drum loop. Record short takes so you can verify timing and noise.
• Keep the same rhythmic cell while changing the musical surface (string, chord, riff). This is how rhythm becomes transferable.

Tier 1: Single-String Rhythm Grooves (Picking Consistency + Timing)

Tier 1A: Eighth-Note Grid With Accents

Goal: Make your pick attack and note lengths consistent while staying locked to the click. This is the “engine test” before chord changes and riffs.

Exact rhythmic cell: Straight eighth notes with a repeating accent pattern over 1 bar of 4/4.

Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   (repeat)  Feel: even 8ths, accent marked notes only
Pick:   D U D U D U D U
Accent: >       >       (accent on 1 and 3)
String: low E (or A), single note (fretted or open)

Tempo range: 70–140 bpm. Start at 70–90, then increase in 5 bpm steps.

Step-by-step:

Continue in our app.

• Listen to the audio with the screen off.
• Earn a certificate upon completion.
• Over 5000 courses for you to explore!

Or continue reading below...

Download the app

• Set the metronome to quarter notes.
• Play 1 bar of even eighth notes; keep the pick motion small and identical on down and up strokes.
• Add accents on beats 1 and 3 by slightly increasing pick speed/weight, not by tensing the arm.
• Listen for “accent creep” (unintended loud notes) and correct immediately.

Pass criteria: 8 clean bars at a chosen tempo with (1) accents only where written, (2) no flams against the click, and (3) consistent note length (no random staccato notes).

Optional variations:

• Change accents: accent on 2 and 4, or on every “&” (offbeats).
• Alternate measures: 1 bar open, 1 bar palm-muted (same rhythm, different articulation).
• Move the same cell to a different root string (A string, then D string) without changing tempo.

Tier 1B: Syncopated Cell (Eighth + Two Sixteenths)

Goal: Maintain subdivision accuracy when the rhythm is no longer “all eighths.” This prepares your hands for riff-like placements while staying on one string.

Exact rhythmic cell: A 1-bar pattern built from the repeating unit: eighth note + two sixteenths.

Count:  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Play:   X   X X   X   X X   X   X X   X   X X
Group:  (1---)(&a) (2---)(&a) (3---)(&a) (4---)(&a)
String: single string, one pitch

Tempo range: 60–120 bpm (counting 16ths). Start where the 16ths are relaxed and even.

Step-by-step:

• First, clap or mute-pick the rhythm on the strings (dead notes) to verify placement.
• Then play the same rhythm on one note; keep the “&a” pair tight and even.
• Record 4 bars and check that the “&” does not drift late (common) or rush (also common).

Pass criteria: 8 clean bars with (1) the “&a” pairs evenly spaced, (2) no extra ghost hits between notes, and (3) steady alignment with the click through the entire take.

Optional variations:

• Accent the first note of each “&a” pair only.
• Switch articulation by measure: 1 bar open, 1 bar palm-muted, repeat.
• Move to a different string and keep the exact same rhythmic placements.

Tier 2: Two-Chord and Four-Chord Power Chord Progressions (Clean Changes + Muting + Accents)

Tier 2A: Two-Chord Alternation With Accent Map

Goal: Keep the groove stable while changing chords cleanly, with controlled silence between hits and consistent accents. This is where timing and muting must survive movement.

Exact rhythmic cell: 1 bar of eighth-note strums with accents on 2 and 4 (backbeat emphasis). Apply to a two-chord loop: | A5 | G5 | (repeat).

Bar rhythm (each chord gets 1 full bar):
Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Strum:  X X X X X X X X
Accent:     >       >    (accent on beats 2 and 4)
Progression: | A5 | G5 | A5 | G5 | ...

Tempo range: 80–160 bpm.

Step-by-step:

• Loop A5 for 2 bars using the rhythm until it feels automatic.
• Switch to G5 for 2 bars; match volume and note length to A5.
• Now alternate every bar: A5 then G5. Keep the accent map identical on both chords.
• Check for string noise on the chord change: the moment between bar 1 and bar 2 must be clean (no ringing from unused strings).

Pass criteria: 8 clean bars alternating chords with (1) no audible string noise during changes, (2) accents clearly on 2 and 4 only, and (3) chord changes landing exactly on beat 1 with no hesitation.

Optional variations:

• Change accents: accent only beat 1; or accent the “&” of 2 and 4 for a push feel.
• Alternate measures: bar 1 open (ringing), bar 2 palm-muted (tight), repeat.
• Move the same two-chord loop to a different root string (e.g., E5–D5 on the A string) while keeping the rhythm unchanged.

Tier 2B: Four-Chord Progression With Stops (Tight Releases)

Goal: Execute clean chord changes while inserting deliberate stops (silence) without losing the pulse. This tests your ability to “end notes on purpose.”

Exact rhythmic cell: A 2-bar cell with eighth-note strums and a stop on beat 4 (quarter-note rest) of bar 2. Apply to a four-chord loop: | E5 | G5 | A5 | C5 |.

Bar 1 (normal):
Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Play:   X X X X X X X X

Bar 2 (stop on 4):
Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Play:   X X X X X X  - -   (no sound on beat 4 and its &)

Progression mapping (1 bar each):
| E5 (Bar 1) | G5 (Bar 2) | A5 (Bar 1) | C5 (Bar 2) | repeat

Tempo range: 75–140 bpm.

Step-by-step:

• Practice the 2-bar rhythm on a single chord first so the stop is reliable.
• Add the four-chord loop, one chord per bar.
• On the stop, keep your strumming hand moving (silent motion) so time does not collapse.
• Verify that the stop is truly silent: no lingering ring, no pick scrape, no sympathetic string noise.

Pass criteria: 8 bars through the progression with (1) dead-silent stops, (2) the next bar’s beat 1 landing confidently, and (3) consistent dynamic level across all chords.

Optional variations:

• Change which bar has the stop (stop on bar 1 instead of bar 2).
• Make the stop shorter: silence only on “4” but play the “&” (a quick “catch”).
• Move the entire progression to a new root area (e.g., A5–C5–D5–F5) and keep the same 2-bar rhythm cell.

Tier 3: Short Riff Studies (Palm Muting + Stops + Gallops + Dynamics)

Tier 3A: Palm-Muted Pedal With Open Accents

Goal: Control dynamics and articulation inside a riff: tight palm-muted “pedal” notes with occasional open (unmuted) accents that pop without speeding up.

Exact rhythmic cell: 1-bar 16th-note grid with palm-muted 16ths and two open accents on beats 2 and 4 (the first 16th of each beat).

Count:  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Artic:  PM PM PM PM  O  PM PM PM  PM PM PM PM  O  PM PM PM
Notes:  E  E  E  E   E  E  E  E   E  E  E  E   E  E  E  E  (pedal tone)
Legend: PM = palm-muted, O = open (unmuted) accent

Tempo range: 60–120 bpm (16ths). Start slow enough that the open accents do not “jump ahead.”

Step-by-step:

• Play all 16ths palm-muted for 2 bars at a steady volume.
• Introduce the open accent on beat 2 only; match timing to the muted notes.
• Add the open accent on beat 4; keep the rest tight and even.
• Record and check that the open accents are louder but not longer unless you intend them to ring.

Pass criteria: 8 clean bars with (1) consistent muted texture, (2) open accents clearly louder without rushing, and (3) no extra noise when switching between muted and open articulation.

Optional variations:

• Change accent placement: open accent on the “&” of 2 and 4 for a syncopated lift.
• Alternate measures: bar 1 all palm-muted, bar 2 with open accents.
• Move the pedal tone to the A string and keep the same accent map and tempo.

Tier 3B: Stop-Time Riff (Silence as a Rhythmic Event)

Goal: Make stops hit as precisely as notes. The silence must be aligned to the grid and repeatable under tempo.

Exact rhythmic cell: A 2-bar riff with palm-muted eighths and a 16th-note stop figure at the end of each bar.

Bar 1:
Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 e & a
Play:   PM PM PM PM PM PM  X  - - -

Bar 2:
Count:  1 & 2 & 3 & 4 e & a
Play:   PM PM PM PM PM PM  X  - X -

Legend: PM = palm-muted hit, X = short hit (staccato), - = silence

Tempo range: 80–160 bpm (eighth-note feel; the 16th grid matters at the end of the bar).

Step-by-step:

• Practice only the last beat (4 e & a) until the hit-and-silence pattern is clean.
• Add the preceding palm-muted eighths while keeping the last beat identical.
• Loop the 2-bar phrase; ensure bar-to-bar transitions do not add extra ringing.

Pass criteria: 8 bars (4 loops) with (1) stops completely silent, (2) the staccato hits short and consistent, and (3) no timing drift between bar 1 and bar 2 endings.

Optional variations:

• Swap bar endings: use bar 2 ending for both bars, then bar 1 ending for both bars.
• Alternate articulation: first loop palm-muted, second loop open (same rhythm), repeat.
• Move the riff to a different root string while preserving the exact last-beat stop figure.

Tier 3C: Gallop Study Inside a Musical Frame

Goal: Keep gallops even and relaxed while switching between gallop and straight time. This is a common point where players rush.

Exact rhythmic cell: 1 bar combining straight eighths and two gallops (each gallop = eighth + two sixteenths).

Count:  1 & 2 e & a 3 & 4 e & a
Play:   PM PM  PM  PM PM  PM PM  PM  PM PM
Group:  (8)(8) (gallop) (8)(8) (gallop)
Legend: PM = palm-muted; gallop = 8th + two 16ths

Tempo range: 70–150 bpm. Start where the gallop does not “trip” or compress.

Step-by-step:

• Isolate the gallop on beat 2 only; loop it until the two 16ths are even.
• Add the straight eighths on beats 1 and 3; keep them the same length and volume as each other.
• Add the second gallop on beat 4; verify both gallops feel identical.
• Introduce dynamics: make straight eighths medium, gallops slightly louder, without changing tempo.

Pass criteria: 8 clean bars with (1) both gallops evenly spaced, (2) no rushing into the gallop, and (3) consistent palm-mute depth across the whole bar.

Optional variations:

• Change accents: accent only the first note of each gallop; or accent the last 16th for a “kick.”
• Switch measures: one bar all straight eighths, next bar with gallops (same tempo).
• Move the riff to a new root (A string pedal instead of low E) while keeping the gallop placements identical.