Focus on rhythm as the driving force—building grooves, patterns, and polyrhythms that make bodies move. Rhythm is music's heartbeat: drum patterns, bass lines, percussive elements creating forward momentum. Study: subdivisions (eighth notes, sixteenth notes, triplets), syncopation (accenting off-beats), and polyrhythms (multiple rhythms simultaneously).
Genres emphasizing rhythm: funk (syncopated grooves), Afrobeat (layered percussion), electronic dance music (4-on-the-floor kicks). Learn drum programming in DAWs, or play hand percussion, drum kit, or beatbox. Understand swing vs straight feels, shuffle, and groove pocket. Clap complex patterns, tap different rhythms with each hand. Rhythm connects universally across cultures.
Study Steve Gadd (studio drummer), Questlove (hip hop), Fela Kuti (Afrobeat). Rhythm can exist without melody; melody struggles without rhythm. Foundation of all music.