Hi I would appreciate some advice as I don’t want to develop bad habits but this may not be one.
So finally I seem to have found rhythm (only taken 60 years) thing is Justin suggested to vary the monotony of rhythm whilst playing. So I find this I can do, but sometimes I might change the strum pattern for different chords or follow a line of song with a heavy down beat, in fact varying the strum has become quite natural.
what I am worried about as I have never played with another living soul. Is this ok or am I overdoing it are variations acceptable when playing in company?
Thanks for your help every one
When you’re playing on your own, it doesn’t matter, i guess. If it sounds good, it is good. When playing with somebody else, it depends on what you do. You’ll have to listen to what the other one does, and adjust accordingly. Or, you can agree on a rythm for a few bars and then change. It depends on what you want to do. I don’t think you’re developing a bad habit. Seems to me that you’re experimenting, and that’s never a bad thing, imho.
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Hi Mark. The answer is to record yourself (a simple phone recording is perfect) and then post it here
About the 
Audio / Video of You Playing category
You’ll get opinions and helpful advice from the Community. We are here to help.
Edit. Or perhaps here
Beginner’s safe space
It doesn’t have to be a song of course. Just enough to allow people to give advice on your issue.
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Hey Mark,
Sounds like you’re just goin with it, and experimenting a bit, which I think is a good thing. As @sairfingers said, maybe post something here if you want others to lend an ear. Always glad to help.
For me, every song has a ‘pulse’, a framework of rhythm that drives it. I call them anchor points. I can vary the rhythm around those anchor points if I wish to mix it up a bit, make it my own etc. But I generally dont mess with these anchor points.
Cheers, Shane
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Hi Shane
That makes sense as once I find what I feel appropriate that’s what I use for that song so the anchor points I guess
Thank you
Hi Mark
As someone who plays with others on a weekly bases It’s fine as long as you don’t change the beat by speeding up or slowing down or changing the rhythm completely. Some songs actually benefit by mixing it up a little others don’t.
Can you play along with a Backing track or music and stay in time?
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Hi Rick
Yes timing is fine and backing tracks all the time ok so I do have a few chord let downs but the don’t push my timing or rhythm out I just have to perfect changes now I have a repertoire of 10 or do songs I try and do daily then I try a couple of difficulties to mix it up
Thanks for responding
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