How To Play Rock N Roll Music
Posted by Mike Schumacher
When learning how to play rock music, there are several components that make up the genre. These include bass guitar, drums, vocals, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, and keyboard or orchesternl instrumentation.
With all of these instruments in place, your song can have either one main instrumentalist (like the piano player in The Piano Man theme song) or many (like Coldplay’s My Favorite Song).
But what about those other parts? What about the lyrics? And what about the structure of the songs?
These things matter!
Music is a universal language. Whether you are listening to new wave, classic rock, jazz, funk, pop, dance, or anything else, the fundamentals of music apply.
And just because something older music doesn’t sound like newer music does not mean that it is any less important. For example, heavy metal songs use lots of power chords and bluesy licks which help develop strong finger dexterity and speed.
Blues also depend heavily on legato singing, so practicing your own voice development and range is an integral part of developing your vocal skills.
This article will go into more detail about each of these areas and some others while also giving you tips and tricks for effectively playing rock music at the advanced beginner level.
Learn to sing along
Even if you can’t carry a tune, you can still enjoy music! There are many ways to learn how to play rock songs – YouTube is a great source of information. You can pick up some basic skills by watching videos that teach music theory (the science of music) or performance techniques.
There are also lots of online courses and apps that offer lessons focused on learning a specific song. Many free resources exist where you can hone your playing skills before investing in a more advanced level course.
In addition to just listening to music, there are several strategies for practicing your guitar skill set. Using headphones and earbuds will allow you to focus completely on each part of the song without distractions.
Practice making music every day is the best way to develop your rhythm and vocal skills. Once you have mastered one element, like singing or strumming the instrument, then advance to the next stage.
Read music
The next step in playing rock music is learning how to read music. This is definitely not as easy as people make it out to be!
Music reading is tricky because there are no rules for what order you should go about doing it. Some musicians learn music reading by starting with the notes of the song, then moving onto the rhythm, and finally the melody. Others start with the rhythm or the melody, and work backwards from there.
Whatever method you choose, just do your best! There are many ways to pick up music reading quickly. You can take lessons or hire online tutors, use software such as Guitar Pro or Garage Band to practice, or even get an app that does it for you.
Practice often
Even if you’re just learning how to play an individual note, or chord, or rhythm pattern, there is no need to leave it behind! You can put this knowledge into practice by practicing each element separately first, then combining them together.
Practicing music means doing so either via instrument (for example, practicing with your guitar) or voice (for example, practicing singing). Both are great ways to learn how to play rock music!
Instrumentally, people usually start by playing notes on the piano or the guitar, and then moving onto other instruments like the violin or the bass. These lessons then progress onto more complicated pieces, where those notes combine together to make songs.
For singers, the same thing happens but instead of using notes as input, they use chords, rhythms, or both. Chords are sets of tones that go well together, while rhythmic patterns work similarly to a duple meter in running sports — two short beats followed by one long beat.
With all three, the harder you push yourself, the better you will get! There are many ways to learn about music theory and technique, but none are totally separate from the others – every concept teaches something new about the others.
Tone your voice
When you sing, how loud you are and what tone you use are key components in how well people will listen to you. Your volume can be influenced by whether you’re singing softly or loudly, if you are using pitch correctly, and how you position yourself when singing.
When singing soft, it is best to keep your vocal cords relaxed. If they are tightened, then it becomes harder for them to produce sounds. Use your breath as needed, but do not overdo it.
To lower your pitch, add some resonance through your mouth and throat. You may want to put one hand up next to your face to feel this effect.
To raise your pitch, apply pressure to your larynx (the part of the voice box that produces sound). This can be done by clenching your teeth, putting your hands on your neck, or biting down.
You should know the difference between singing high and low tones. A high tone has sharper pitches, while a low tone has softer ones.
Become familiar with the lyrics
Even if you are not quite comfortable singing along, it is still important to be able to recognize what song you are listening to!
Having this knowledge will help you out in two main ways: It will give you an idea of how the music piece fits into the structure of the song, and it will help you determine which parts are needed to know the song well.
By knowing the lyrics, you can also easily find out when a new part comes up or ends, as well as giving you more information about the song.
For example, if you are struggling to understand what someone is saying in a song, look up the word just to see where it appears. You may discover that it is a repeated line, like a hook, or something else that helps you get the meaning.
There are many websites and apps that make it easy to do so.
Learn how to take pictures with your guitar
Taking good band photos is an integral part of being a musician!
We’ve covered taking group photos before, but what if you want some one-on-one action? Or maybe you would like to add some fun twist to your profile picture for social media sites?
Here are some tips about taking great rock music photography.
Focus on creating natural looking images
Try experimenting with different angles, settings, and photoshoots to learn more about how to use light and shadows to create aesthetically pleasing photographs.
Music artists spend a lot of time editing their photos so it is no wonder that there are many ways to do this.
Thinking about where the sun will be in relation to the photo can help determine whether or not the image looks natural.
Keep your guitar clean
When you start playing, you’ll need to make sure that your instrument is in good working order. Obviously, this means keeping it well-washed and shined, but there are some other things you can do as well.
One of the biggest sources of noise for new players is their pickle. Most people use plastic or metal picks, which can become rusty if not cleaned properly. If yours have dried up, they’re probably time to be retired!
Instead, use gel picks, or better yet, wooden ones. They will last much longer and sound much better! If you’re still using plastic picks, try buying some soft leather covers to fit over them so that they don’t scratch your guitar later.
Another thing to look out for is loose strings. Before practicing, take a few minutes to tighten down all of the strings on your guitar. This way, when you play, none of them will get stuck due to friction caused by tightness.
Hygiene is important
When playing music, your hygiene really matters! Whether you are singing or not, your skin can pick up some nasty bumps and germs due to repeated contact with your instrument, mic, or hands. This can result in infection or dry cracked skin that may hurt or even cause you to lose feeling in your fingers or hand.
Luckily, there are few things that can help prevent this from happening. First, make sure your hands are clean and well-hydrated before starting to play. If your hands become wet, use water soluble gel hand sanitizers and/or wash them thoroughly under running water.
Never use soap as it could damage your instruments or dried out your skin. Instead, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner or wipe yourself off with a paper towel dipped in alcohol to remove any lingering dirt or infectious agents.


The Jam Addict team is a revolving door of writers who care about music, its effects on culture, and giving aspiring artists tools and knowledge to be inspired and keep on creating.
If you have any questions or concerns or just want to drop us a line, don’t hesitate to contact us! We always appreciate the feedback.