Menu
🎸 RhythmMaster 2025 is LIVE!
Learn more ->
Whether you’re a beginner looking to develop smooth, natural rhythm or an intermediate player ready to master advanced strumming techniques like percussive strumming, fingerpicking, and dynamic embellishments—RhythmMaster is for you.
Imagine being able to:
A complete map, from beginner to professional-level guitarist.
Dozens of high quality PDFs, worksheets and links that expand on lesson content.
Develop a strong sense of timing and groove, and learn to play along with your favorite songs.
If you’ve ever felt like your strumming is flat, repetitive, or lacks musicality, you’re not alone. We were once stuck on that same frustrating plateau—until we discovered the rhythm secrets that transformed our playing.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to develop smooth, natural rhythm or an intermediate player ready to master advanced strumming techniques like percussive strumming, fingerpicking, and dynamic embellishments—RhythmMaster is for you.
Like many, we spent years obsessing over chords, thinking that’s where the magic was.
But the real key to sounding like a pro isn’t in your left hand—it’s in your strumming hand. Rhythm is what makes music come alive.
When we played songs we loved they just didn’t sound like the original. The chords were ‘right,’ but it just didn’t sound MUSICAL.
Everything we learned to play started to sound the same. It drove us crazy.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to develop smooth, natural rhythm or an intermediate player ready to master advanced strumming techniques like percussive strumming, fingerpicking, and dynamic embellishments—RhythmMaster is for you.
Chords are the best place for a beginner guitarist to start, but it’s important to realize that guitar chords are simply static shapes.
It’s a guitarist’s STRUMMING HAND that makes chords come to life and sound musical.
Why? Because it’s a guitarist’s strumming hand that creates all the rhythm!
I spent so much time obsessing about chords but the reason my guitar playing didn’t sound musical was because my STRUMMING wasn’t good enough.
I had spent hundreds of hours focussing on my left-hand and hardly any time focussing on my right-hand!
This is a classic mistake that lots of guitar learners make.
There are specific strumming and rhythmic techniques that all great guitarists use. This course will teach them to you.
Instead of wasting years figuring it out on your own, RhythmMaster gives you a proven, step-by-step system to develop effortless rhythm and dynamic strumming skills in a fraction of the time.
This online course includes:
This course unlocks your potential to become a rhythmically confident guitarist. You’ll discover the secrets to playing in time and creating captivating grooves. Learn to master essential strumming patterns and chord voicings. Develop the skills to play along with any song and create your own unique rhythm parts.
Build a rock-solid foundation and learn the fundamentals of timing, strumming, and chord progressions. Master essential techniques for clean and consistent rhythm playing. Develop the confidence to play in any musical situation, from jamming with friends to performing on stage.
Become a rhythm powerhouse. You’ll explore different rhythmic styles, from rock and blues to funk and soul. Learn to create dynamic and engaging rhythm parts that complement any song. Develop your own unique rhythmic voice and stand out as a rhythm guitarist.
You’ll learn everything you need to know to play confidently and musically. Master essential techniques for strumming, chord changes, and rhythmic variations. Develop the skills to play in any style and create your own unique grooves.
And remember: RhythmMaster comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not the right fit, just email us. No hassle. Full refund.
Whether you’re an aspiring rock star or a lifelong learner, we’d be honored to help you master this essential skill.
Click below to join RhythmMaster—and we’ll see you inside the course in just a few minutes.
The course includes over eight hours of high-quality HD video instruction broken down into 10 modules with bite-sized lessons.
Even though posture isn’t the sexiest part of playing guitar, it’s definitely the most important. Without perfect posture, you will never be able to play the guitar in the way that you want. In this video lesson Mike discusses the importance of posture and why it’s such an important part of learning guitar.
Believe it or not, but the thing that you sit on can be a make or break situation when learning the guitar. If you don’t sit on the correct furniture, you can run into all sorts of problems when learning the guitar. In this video lesson Mike discusses why this is important and how it can fundamentally change the way that you play guitar.
If you want to be able to create music that is filled with musicality and presence, you must learn how to strum. There are a few essentials that you need to know if you want to be able to strum correctly. In this video lesson Mike shows you how to develop perfect strumming arm technique.
One fundamental of learning guitar is learning how to have the correct chord technique. Without this in place you will never be able to play guitar chords. In this video lesson Mike shows you how to play guitar chords cleanly and correctly.
When learning to strum you MUST learn how to use a pick. Using a pick makes everything on the guitar so much easier. In this video Mike shows you how to hold and use a guitar pick. This lesson is a must-watch for all beginner guitarists.
Strumming technique is at the heart of your rhythm technique. If you can’t strum, you’ll never be able to become the rhythm guitarist that you want to be. In this video lesson Mike discusses what strumming is, why it’s important and how it benefits you as a guitarist.
When learning the guitar it’s essential that you use a guitar that is the right size for you and play with extra light gauge strings. In this video lesson Mike explains these two quick tips in more detail.
Most beginners don’t realise this, but there’s a fundamental difference between downstrokes and upstrokes. In this video lesson Mike explains this concept in more detail and why it’s so important when learning rhythm guitar.
If you’re new to strumming, the first place to start is with downstrokes. Downstrokes form the foundation of all strumming patterns. In this video lesson Jack shares with you some cool exercises that will whip your downstrokes into shape. Let’s get started!
For every downstroke, there’s always an upstroke that can potentially be played. However, this is one of the harder strokes to play on the guitar. To help you out, Jack has come up with a couple of cool exercises you can use to help boost your rhythmic skill and strumming technique.
When learning to strum, the real magic happens when you begin to combine downstrokes and upstrokes. If done correctly, this will turn your whole strumming world around. In this video lesson Jack shows you how to perfect this technique and becoming a strumming master.
When learning to strum, it isn’t massively important that you learn how to skip the strings while strumming. This is a technique that comes with time and is developed naturally as you progress on your guitar journey. However, there are a couple of cool tricks that you can use to help you play your chords correctly and fluidly.
Having good timing is absolutely essential if you want to become a solid guitarist. If you’re timing isn’t good, everything you play will fall apart.
If you want to have good timing you must be able to understand what ‘beats’ and ‘tempo’ are. These are essential elements of keeping time, if you understand these concepts you will be well on your way to becoming a rhythm master.
When learning to play in time you must know how to work out the beat of a song. This is a game-changer when it comes to learning rhythm guitar. In this video Mike shares with you 5 of his best tips & tricks for working out the beat of a song.
When learning to play in time it’s important to listen and ‘ground’ yourself in the beat before you begin playing the guitar. Without this essential tip, you will find it incredibly difficult to play in time.
One really cool way to keep yourself playing in time is to tap your foot to the beat of a song. This is an excellent timing tip that will fundamentally change the way that you play guitar. If you want to have rock solid timing, this video is a must-watch.
Most beginners don’t realise this, but a really cool way to keep yourself playing in time is to count beats whilst you play.
When learning to play in time, the easiest way to keep solid time is ‘tie your downstrokes’ to each beat of a song. In this video lesson Mike shows you this cool concept and how to use it in a musical situation. This lesson is a MUST watch for all beginners.
Even though metronomes can be seen as being boring and uninspiring, they are actually incredibly useful for guitarists who want to turbo-charge their rhythmic skills. In this video lesson Mike explains the benefits of using a metronome and how you can use it to significantly improve your strumming technique.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to learn guitar is to learn songs that you love. Even though this is a simple concept, it can be an absolute game changer when it comes to learning guitar.
If you want to become a solid rhythm guitarist you must understand how time signatures work.
3/4 time is a time signature which has been used throughout a variety of different genres. It crops up in almost ALL kinds of music.
From waltzes to rock ballads, 6/8 is a time signature which appears across the popular music spectrum.
There are LOADS of different time signatures out there, however you don’t need to know them all. Most popular songs are in 4/4, 3/4 or 6/8. However, there are some benefits to learning about different time signatures.
If you’ve been learning guitar for a while, there’s a high chance that you would’ve come across some strumming patterns. Strumming patterns are a HUGE part of learning rhythm guitar. It’s almost impossible to learn music without learning at least one strumming pattern.
Tired of learning hundreds of strumming patterns for different songs? Wish there was one epic strumming pattern that you could learn for every song?
When you’re first learning how to play rhythm guitar, you need a gentle push in the right direction. Sometimes learning basic strumming patterns can be a fantastic way of introducing some musicality into your playing.
Looking to take your strumming skill to the next level? You’re in the right place. In this video lesson Jack shows you 3 cool strumming patterns that will turbo charge your groove and musicality.
Even if you’re an advanced guitarist, you can benefit from learning some harder strumming patterns. The best way to improve as a guitarist is to challenge yourself and that’s why we created this lesson! In this video Jack will show you 3 advanced strumming patterns that will test your rhythmic skill. Be warned, after you’ve been through this lesson you may well be a rhythmic monster.
In most basic chords there are three notes, however one of those notes is the most important, that note is the ‘root note’. Regardless of which strumming technique you use, you must target root notes in this way for your chord changes to sounds crisp, sharp and defined.
A guitarist’s rhythmic world is divided into two areas of technique: fretboard hand and strumming hand. Understanding this concept is vital when learning rhythm guitar as it enables you to play with conviction and musicality.
One of the best ways to sound musical and expressive is to strum all the strings. This allows you to use the whole range of the guitar when strumming.
Even though full strumming is cool, another fantastic way of making your playing more eloquent and meaningful is to learn how to partially strum the strings.
String grouping is an exceptionally powerful technique that every aspiring guitarist should have under their belt.
One way to change the way that your chords sound is to explore string grouping and chord choice. This is a really simple way of breathing new life into your guitar playing
One huge strumming secret that most people don’t realise is that you can essentially turn a guitar into a drum.
String slapping is one of Mike’s favourites techniques, and there’s a reason why; it sounds awesome!
If you want to kick back and chill with your acoustic then you’ve come to the right place. This technique will instantly make you sound like a rhythmic god!
Fingerpicking is one of the most eloquent and personal techniques that you can play on the guitar.
The 5th interval is one of the most stable intervals out there. As well as this it can often be used as a secondary guitar part or to add stability within a band mix.
Not only is it possible to strum 5ths, it’s also possible to pick them too. This is a fantastic way of bringing out the dynamic within your playing.
Suspended chords are some of the most beautiful and elegant chords out there. Using these chords is a sure fire way of turbo charging your musicality and phrasing.
One goal you should have as a guitarist is to be able to blend lead and chords together. Often most beginners make the mistake of thinking they are either a ‘lead guitarist’ or a ‘rhythm guitarist’, however why would you limit yourself to being one? That’s no fun!
One of the most sophisticated and vibrant intervals out there is the 3rd of the chord. This is what gives a chord its individuality and character.
Ever wanted to crank your amp up to 11 and slay the stage with some huge sounding classic rock riffs? If this sounds like your idea of heaven, then you’re in luck! In this video lesson Jack will show you a wicked rock strumming pattern that Jimmy Page and Angus Young would be proud of.
From Mississippi to New Orleans, blues has been a huge part of popular music over the last decade. It’s SO much fun to play. In this video lesson Jack will show you an amazing sounding strumming pattern which has been used by blues greats such as Clapton, B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Get your boots and cowboy hat ready, it’s time to lay down some wicked country grooves! In this video lesson Jack shows you an amazing strumming pattern which will instantly make you sound like a country god. Yeehaw!
Ever wanted to learn the tight grooves of guitarists like Prince and John Frusciante? Well then today is your lucky day. In this video lesson Jack shows you a classic funk pattern which has been played by some of the greats!
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! Learning jazz can be hard, however fear not! In this video lesson Jack will show you a wicked strumming pattern that will instantly make you sound like a jazz great.
Throughout the past 30 years there has been a huge movement of unsigned independent bands coming out of the US and the UK. Within this, there have been some fantastic examples of rhythm guitar playing. In this video lesson Jack shows you a classic indie strumming pattern which would excel on any Oasis or Killers record.
Rasta! Reggae music is filled with laidback grooves and chunky chords. In this video lesson Jack you will show an essential reggae strumming pattern that every guitarist needs to know. This is a rhythmic groove Bob Marley would be proud of.
In this lesson Mike explains the transformative technique that we call ‘percussive guitar’. This is a way of strumming the guitar that sounds very different to ‘steady strumming’ and adds personality, beat, rhythm and colour to everything you play.
One of the hardest parts about developing deadening technique is getting your right hand into shape. In this video lesson Mike shares some cool exercises that will boost the dexterity and technique of your right hand. Watch out, this lesson may seriously enhance your guitar technique.
There are two ways to mute a chord on the guitar, with your ‘strumming hand’ or ‘chord hand’. Both are completely valid techniques and have pros and cons. In this video lesson Mike will show you mute the strings with your chord hand. This concept changes EVERYTHING about play the guitar. Get ready to have your guitar world turned upside down.
Struggling with strumming & deadening with your left hand? You’re in the right place! In this video lesson Mike shows you some epic exercises which are guaranteed to get your left hand up to speed in no time. After you’ve been through this lesson you’ll be a muting master!
One of the best ways to inject musicality into your playing is to learn how to strum whilst deadening strings. Even though this technique is difficult at first, you will soon see and hear the benefits from perfecting this cool rhythmic technique.
One of the coolest ways to turn your guitar into more of a percussive instrument is to explore ‘claw and mute’ technique. This technique has been used by guitarists such as Jack Johnson, Ed Sheeran and John Mayer and there’s a reason for this, it sounds fantastic!
Once you’ve mastered the basics of claw and mute technique, you must work on developing this technique within your own playing. Techniques such as this should feel as natural as possible. The more natural they feel, the more you’ll be able to easily use them in a musical situation.
One question we get asked a lot is, “When I strum, which chords should I play, open or barre chords?”.
In reality, the answer is both! However, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Even though electric and acoustic guitars contain the same physical elements, they are often used in completely different ways. In this video lesson Mike explains the differences between these two types of guitars and why you might choose one over the other from a rhythm perspective.
When learning rhythm guitar, the CAGED system is your best friend. It can turn an average sounding rhythm guitar part into an amazing one with the switch of a chord! In this video lesson Mike discusses the CAGED system and how you can use it to improve your rhythmic vocabulary.
It’s no secret that capos are a guitarist’s best friend. Not only do they make your life easier, they also provide endless amounts of rhythmic options. In this video Mike discusses capos and how can they affect your rhythm playing.
It’s amazing how using a capo can completely change the way that you play. Not only does it bring new chord voicings, it also brings tons of rhythmic opportunities. In this video lesson Mike show you how versatile capos can be in a rhythmic and chordal situation.
In this intermediate lesson Mike walks you through a real musical scenario and shares his thought process for making chords and rhythmic choices. You’ll learn how to find the perfect chords and develop cool rhythms which work in a musical context.
If you want to become a rapid fingerpicker, you must have the correct technique in place. In this video lesson Jack shows you everything you need to know to get your fingerpicking journey started in the perfect way.
There are two different ways to approach fingerpicking technique, ‘Anchoring’ and ‘Hovering’. In this video lesson Jack shows you each technique and explains the pros and cons behind them.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of fingerpicking technique, it’s time to work those digits! In this video lesson Jack shows you how to fingerpick with your thumb in a rich and musical context.
In this video lesson Jack shows you how to use your thumb and first finger together when fingerpicking. Even though you’re only using two fingers you can cover loads of ground if you develop your technique correctly.
When learning to fingerpick, it’s important to be able use your thumb, 1st and 2nd finger. If you can use these fingers, you’ll be able to play 90% of all fingerpicking songs. In this video lesson Jack shows you how to use how your thumb, 1st and 2nd finger correctly.
Ever wondered how lead guitarists get that cool grinding sound when they play lead guitar? This technique is known as ‘pick sliding’ and has been used by thousands of guitar greats. In this video lesson Mike shows you everything you need to know about pick slides.
This is one of our favourite guitar tricks. Using ‘harmonics’ is a sure fire way of injecting some musicality into your guitar playing. In this video lesson Mike shows you everything you need to know about playing harmonics on the guitar.
When learning lead guitar, it’s extremely important that you target specific strings. If you don’t do this, your lead playing will sound sloppy and messy. In this video lesson Mike shares you a cool trick that will help target specific strings.
Using the correct plectrum is vital when learning rhythm guitar. This can be a huge game changer for most guitarists and can make a fundamental difference to the way that you play.
Experimenting with where you strum on the guitar completely changes the way that your guitar sounds. In this video Mike shares with you a quick and simple strumming tip that will allow you to instantly improve your strumming technique and tone.
When learning guitar, many beginners fall into the trap of strumming all of the strings at the same time. Although this sounds great for some chords, on others it doesn’t. In this video Mike shows you how to target and skip specific strings when strumming.
One technique that can completely change a chord progression is if you add leading notes between each chord. In this video Jack shows you the secrets behind this essential technique.
Blending scales with chords is an absolute game change. It can turn you from being an average guitarist to an advanced one in the space of a few notes! In this video lesson Jack shows you how to use this wicked technique in your own playing.
Most beginners don’t realise this, but being able to control your volume and dynamics is SO important when playing rhythm guitar. In this video lesson Jack shows you how to master this essential concept.
If you want to be able to play with speed and precision, you must learn how to alternate pick. In this video Jack shows you everything you need to know about this killer technique.
Even though alternate picking is often classed as a lead guitar technique, it also sounds fantastic when used in a chordal context. In this video Jack shows you how to use this technique in a delicate and musical way.
Hybrid picking is a technique which has been used by guitarists from a wide variety of genres. It’s cool, quick and sounds fantastic. In this video lesson Jack shows what hybrid picking is and why you should learn how to use it.
Not only is hybrid picking good for rhythm playing, it’s also fantastic for playing lead. In this video lesson Jack shows you how to splice lead and chordal techniques with hybrid picking. Hold on tight, it’s going to be awesome!
Most people think of hammer on’s and pull off’s as a lead guitar technique, however they can actually be used in a number of different musical scenarios. In this video lesson Mike shows you the benefit of this cool guitar technique and how it can be used from a rhythm perspective.
Jamming is one of the best things that you can do on the guitar. In this video lesson Mike discusses jamming and why it should be an essential part of your guitar learning experience.
Most beginner guitarists find it difficult to get started with jamming. There are loads of variables that change when you put more than one guitarist in the room. In this video lesson Mike shares some tips and pointers that you can use to be prepared for every kind of jam.
When learning to jam it’s essential that you can keep in time. If you can’t keep in time you will never be able to jam with other musicians. In this video Mike shows you how to keep in time.
There are many hidden jamming secrets that most musicians simply aren’t aware of. In this video lesson Mike shares with you 8 of his best tips for playing with other musicians.
/one-time
Each module contains video tutorials that are between 5-15 minutes long, that you can watch at any time that’s convenient for you. They’re all available online.
No, the entire course happens online, and you can take it from any place where you have an internet connection. All videos are prerecorded so you can watch them at any time that works for you.
No. The course is hosted entirely on Vimeo’s industry-leading servers. You don’t need to download anything and it won’t take up any memory on your device.
Yes. You simply access the course on our website from whatever device you want to use
No. You have lifetime access and are free to progress through the course at your own pace.
You can spend as much or as little time as you want, and you get lifetime access to all course materials, so there is no reason to complete the course within a certain time period.
You keep lifetime access to all course content, as well as free lifetime updates.That means you can always review the material in the future, and you’ll have plenty of time to catch up in case you fall behind.
The majority of our students describe themselves as ‘not good with technology’, so don’t worry! Even if you feel like you know nothing about technology, you won’t feel left out.
All the lectures start from the very beginning while gradually progressing into advanced topics.
If you’ve been actively studying guitar for several years, you’re probably going to be familiar with some of the ideas and techniques that are discussed in this course.
The majority of our students are in the US so that’s why we price in dollars.
It’s simple. If you want to request a refund, send an email to support@nationalguitaracademy.com within 30 days of your purchase and you’ll get 100% of your money back, no questions asked.
You can email us at support@nationalguitaracademy.com.
