Developing Your Groove

We’ve all heard it before ‘feeling the groove’, ‘get into the groove’ and other varied versions with similar meanings ‘on the beat’, ‘in the pocket’, ‘swinging’, ‘cooking’ etc. So how does this apply to music and how do we actually achieve this in a playing context? In this lesson, we will talk about the importance of groove, how we can feel it and how we can improve our groove.

Recommended Watching

In his youtube video ‘Rhythm Guitar | Instructional | Tommy Emmanuel’, watch Tommy Emmanuel discuss the importance of developing your groove (starting at 2:20).

What is groove?

Groove can be interperated as a number of things but when we talk about groove in a music setting it is refering to the rhythmical feel pertaining to timing & placement that underpins and glues all the music together. This applies when playing solo or in a group. A musician who has a ‘strong groove’ typically refers to someone who is connected with music through a strong sense of rhythmic timing and feel.

Why is it so important?

Have you heard the expression ‘timing is everything’? This is true for music. Rhythmic timing is what creates the impetus behind all melodies and chords we hear in music. Developing a strong rhythmic connection with music is essential.

Is groove quantifiable or is it purely felt?

Some musicians will say groove is all about feeling others will say it’s all to do with how accurate you are within the rhythmic grid of music. For me, I favour the taoist approach, as I believe it’s both. Groove is indeed something we shouldn’t have to think about and is mainly felt but before we can get to this stage groove is something we need to work on. Similar to when we drive a car or ride a bike, with practice eventually all the mechanics becomes second nature.

Levels of Groove

Groove can be felt through both:

1. Time and Stylistic Feel

2. Rythmically: On-Beats & Off-Beats (SubDivions)

How can we develop a strong rhythmic connection/ feel?

Before we pick up a guitar (or any instrument) we need to at least be aware of groove. A guitar in this respect is merely a tool, an extension of ourselves. Holding a guitar should not determine whether we can feel, hear or even play 8th notes. Our connection with rhythm is something that comes from within. Rhythms should be physically internalised via incorporating our body into practice. This is one of the best ways to improve our innate connection with music and develop our sense of groove.

Let’s look at how we can incorporate our body into practice to develop a strong rhythmic connection away from our instrument:

Time and Stylistic Feel

Ears: Listen Actively to Music

By listening actively to music we can discover many things especially when we listen to lots of different types of music. Like observing a painting, we can listen to music via many perspectives such as looking at the overall song (big picture) or focusing on certain instruments (small picture). By doing this, we can explore music in a more profound way and discover characteristics of certain styles and context.

Big picture

• what is the time signature: 4/4, 12/8, 3/4?
• what is time feel: normal, rubato, half time, double time?
• are the rhythms straight or swung?
• which subdivion feels the most natural: triplet feel, quaver feel, semi-quaver feel?

Small picture

• how do the drums and bass rhythmically interact with each other?

On-Beats

Feet: Foot Tapping

Tapping your foot along with music allows you to internally feel the beat that provides the fundamental level of groove and creates the rhythmic structure for timing. All this fosters more confidence in our playing. Start by listening to music and practice tapping your foot along to the main beats (on-beats) of the song. It is surprising as sometimes this isn’t as easy as we think. Start with songs where the on-beats are easier to distinguish.

Off-Beats (SubDivions)

Hands: Drumming

It’s important to listen to how subdivions interact with music, some will feel more natural than others but it’s important to practice them all. Being a drummer is a great way to practice subdivions because we don’t have to worry about melody or chordal concepts getting in the way. It’s purely rhythmic timing we need to focus on.

In the following excercises we can alternate on-beats and off-beats; your dominant hand playing on-beats and your other hand playing off-beats.

1. Playing subdivions excercises such as the rhythm tree excercise with a metronome
2. Applying this to strum patterns (eg. for a those who are right handed: D DU UDU would translate to R RL LRL)
3. Playing subdivions/ strum patterns while listening to songs

Mouth: Counting

Being able to vocally count is essential in internalising rhythms and feel. Practice counting while listening to music & playing.

Be Creative: Find Your Groove

Outside of Playing Music

We can also develop a connection with rhythm outside of music. Why not make music a part of everyday life? Can you think of any everyday activities groove can be applied to?

Here’s a few examples:

1. Walking: Steps create down-beats
2. Finger Tapping: subdivions
3. Singing/ voice percussion (beat boxing)
4. Dancing