I still remember the excitement I had when realizing that rhythm, rhythmic groupings and motifs can bring colour to my improvisations.
Suddenly, I didn't feel lost improvising and I felt I have something to say musically - like a little story that actually makes sense.
Plus, each lick I knew could be altered rhythmically and get a new colour.

What are your favourite rhythmic phrases/groupings that you enjoy using when improvising?

I really think this topic could help build a little "cheat sheet" of phrases.

I'm very fond of groupings of 5, btw

I like to use a lot of legato runs in groups of 7.. each group of 7 fits over the space of 2 Eighth notes, for example.

I too like odd groupings and I also have a little exercise somewhere in the video chat notes I did a few years ago in which I combined groups of 5, 6, 7 and 9 notes - once I'll find it, I will post it here

Great, guys! Please do post your examples here. That will be really fun.

I recorded a little take using groupings of 5, just to illustrate how using a simple concept can take you to new and exciting places. I tried to make them more musical than sequencial, so if you count the notes, you can find them groupings all over the place.

Click to view attachment

It's very important once you learn a new interesting lick to analzye it rhthmically too and try to incorporate it into your phrases as subtle as can be - this is another thing I learned from the great Scott Henderson

Hah! Finally found my ideas Here you are guys - hope you will enjoy these: http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&p=592204

That's great, Cosmin. Thanks! I think this subject is really interesting cause in the end, rhythm was first - it's in our gene, it's the core essence of each human so we must take advantage of it. Anyone is more than welcome to share

Exactly bro! In the dawn of men, rhythm was the first form of musical expression - think about the primitive humans - I am certain that they first learned how to band a stick on another stick or on a rock and that's how rhythm appeared.

Exactly! Rhythm makes your heart beat differently. It really shouldn't be ignored at all

The funny thing is, when we were small (maybe it was your case as well) we all wanted to be lead guitarists, NOT IN ANY circumstance rhythm guitarist - because being a rhythm guitarist means you are not able to solo, right?

Of course! We even had jokes: "rhythm guitarist.. ah "
Now, the first thing I listen to is rhythm, whatever form it may be - riff, solo, harmony.. they are all connected and given life by rhythm

Rhythm is in solos too - I will once again underline the importance of being able to write rhythmic lead lines and themes. Find the formulas that other players involve in their lead playing - dudes like Nuno Bettencourt and Al Di Meola - man, such rhythmic playing in leads!

Good choice, bro! Here's one in which the main theme has very nice rhythmic ideas and it is build with nice spacing:

Veeery nice one, man! You can build up a career only using and overusing (and altering) the abundace of motifs used in this one! Really tasty!

That's one reason for which Al is among my favorite players. The second - it's just ONE dude with an acoustic guitar. I think I mentioned my love for minimalism many times in this forum and, yeah, Al is pretty much there, don't you think?

He is the real deal. Years of dedication and perfection in a lot of aspects. Great guy!

Andy Timmons is another dude having a lot of interesting accent play in his phrasing - notice how he is never boring because of the different/ sometimes odd accent he deploys? We were both there when he performed