To become a good guitar player it is essential to have control over where in the bar you place notes or chords and where you leave spaces. One way to improve this ability is to take each subdivision of the beat (i.e., eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes), and practice playing each one in all possible positions within a single beat and then within a bar. To keep the feel of the basic subdivision, use percussive strumming in place of rests. The next example contains exercises using eighth notes. Play the exercises as written at first, then try swinging all the eighth notes. Remember to use your metronome, count out loud and tap your foot evenly on the beat. It is important to practice these with alternate strumming and also with all downstrokes.