Three Ways to Groove

10 min · Beginner–Intermediate · Rhythm

How to play

Choose two chords, such as Am and G. Alternate between them every bar.

Play it three ways. First straight, with even eighth notes. Then shuffled, with a long-short swing. Then syncopated, with accents and rests landing between the beats.

Spend a few minutes on each feel, and notice how the same chords tell a different story.

Challenge

Move between the three feels without stopping, changing every four bars.

Tips

Count out loud: "1 and 2 and". For the shuffle, say "1-trip-let".