A Rhythmic Concept for Jazz Guitar: Guitar Book & CD

This book cuts through the usual jazz guitar repertoire by isolating specific rhythmic problems and letting students solve them through improvisation and comping, not just reading. The inclusion of a full rhythm section on the recordings means students hear authentic interplay rather than a practice track, and the MIDI files open doors for students who want to experiment with tempos and variations on their own.

The pieces unfold with clarity and purpose. Early selections (offbeats, repeating motifs) feel grounded and groove-oriented, while later chapters venture into territory that demands real attention: polyrhythms lock into unexpected places, odd meters stop feeling awkward, and the swing-Latin hybrids teach your ears to code-switch between feels. The rhythm section is locked and responsive, never mechanical.

Jazz guitarists working past beginner level who want systematic exposure to rhythmic concepts that appear across the jazz repertoire. This serves both self-taught players and students in jazz ensemble or private study who need focused material on rhythm rather than chord-melody arrangements.

• Start with the full guitar demonstration to hear how O'Mara handles each rhythmic concept, then strip it down to just bass and drums when you're ready to comp or improvise over the same changes.
• Use the MIDI files to slow down material that catches you off guard. Working through a polyrhythm or odd-meter piece at 60% tempo lets your hands internalize the subdivisions before you play along at the written tempo.
• Treat the comping examples as springboards, not scripts. Once you grasp the rhythmic premise of each piece, generate your own voicings and rhythmic variations over the bass and drums.
• Loop individual sections in your sequencer if a particular rhythmic hybrid (swing/Latin, 4/4-3/4) feels unstable. Repetition builds the muscle memory faster than grinding through the whole tune.

Assign this as a semester-long solo study or jazz ensemble supplement for guitarists who need to sharpen their rhythmic foundation. Work through one piece per week in parallel with standard jazz repertoire, so students apply what they learn to real tunes in rehearsal. The progression from simple to complex also makes it work well as a bridge between beginner and intermediate improvisation materials.

• Comping over offbeat rhythms and syncopated figures
• Playing and improvising through swing-Latin hybrids
• Navigating polyrhythms and odd meters (5/4, 7/4)
• Managing meter modulation between 4/4 and 3/4
• Executing bebop articulation and phrasing in improvisation
• Responding to a rhythm section while listening actively