Ryan Roxie, who played guitar for the who's who of classic rock bands including Alice Cooper and Slash's Snakepit, has one piece for guitarists aspiring to become touring musicians: master rhythm guitar. “The skill to play solid rhythm guitar always takes the back seat to playing lead and I don’t know why,” he reflects in a new interview with . “Without Malcolm there wouldn’t be Angus, or at least not the Angus we all know.
Learning rhythm guitar will actually help you become a better lead player as it will lock you in more with the ‘rhythm section’ aka bass and drums. “Wanna get popular on YouTube? Play mind-blowing solos and post ’em up. Wanna get employed with a touring band? Play mind-blowing rhythm parts as well as solos that ultimately lift the song that becomes popular on all musical platforms, including YouTube!” In a , Roxie talked about the importance of being a versatile player and relinquishing any ego related to only playing solos, especially in the Alice Cooper setup.
“It doesn't matter if it's me, Tommy [Henriksen, Alice Cooper guitarist], Nita [Strauss, guitarist], Kane [Roberts, former guitarist], or whoever; we all have a role to play during each song. There's never really an argument about who's taking a solo; the bottom line is that a lot of the songs have two or three solos, so there's never a shortage. “Also, we all have such different styles, which is also considered when we choose who will do what.
For instance, if it's a song f.