Unlocking the Rhythmic Soul of Rock and Roll
The Kaplan Bounce
They say the fifties were square.
But how is a guy walking like a duck while playing guitar square?
When I think of early rock and roll, I picture Disney’s Goofy: limbs flailing, shoes too big, slipping on the beat but somehow landing upright — every time. That’s the feel. That’s the magic. That’s the part no textbook ever taught me.
For forty years, I chased that feeling without knowing what it was. That teetering, mischievous rhythm that grabs your spine and won’t let go. The kind of rhythm that makes you move — you can’t help it. Chuck Berry had it. Elvis had it. Little Richard had it. It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t correct. It was alive.
Eventually, I found the formula — not by studying it, but by switching instruments, ditching the rules, and playing until it clicked. I call it:
The Kaplan Bounce
It’s not a trick. It’s a rhythmic mindset. It’s a way of landing — like tripping down the stairs in rhythm and sticking the pose at the bottom.
At its core, it’s this:
Start by hitting the root of the chord right on the 1 — and hit it like it matters. That’s your anchor. Then? Let the rhythm get mischievous. Make it jab, tease, stutter, sneak in a few surprises. Keep the notes short, the timing sharp, and the attitude loose. It’s not sloppy — it’s alive.
Why It Works
That root on the 1 gives the ear something to grab onto — a lighthouse in a sea of rhythmic weirdness. When you hit it hard, early, and often, you can get away with practically anything.
You can hit unexpected notes — even ones that “shouldn’t” work — and they’ll sound perfectly natural. Why? Because they’re short, they’re in time, and they’re surrounded by that root on the 1. You’re not creating harmonic tension — you’re throwing sparks across a steady groove.
It’s musical slapstick — Goofy in boots with a Fender. It’s rock and roll in its purest form: weird, wobbly, and defiant.
The Kaplan Bounce – Core Principles
1. Play the root on the 1.
That’s your home base. Whether it shows up every bar or every four — land on it like a hammer.
2. Don’t be shy with the root.
Pound it. Return to it. Make it a mantra.
3. Use short, punchy notes.
Long notes ask for permission. Short notes do what they want.
4. Focus on the root and the 5th.
That’s your engine. The root and 5th hold it down. The rest? That’s your playground.
5. Improvise everything else.
Rhythm, note choice, phrasing — always be in motion.
6. Keep the rhythm wacky.
Teeter, shuffle, bounce, stutter. Play like you’re dodging raindrops.
7. Chromaticism is your friend — just keep it short.
“Off” notes work when they’re fast, in time, and surrounded by confidence.
8. Land hard on the 1 and you can get away with murder.
That’s the bounce.
Where It Lives
The Kaplan Bounce was born in early rock and roll — and that’s still where it shines brightest. It’s in:
Chuck Berry’s lopsided swagger
“Mystery Train” wobbling off the tracks
The Stones falling together as they fall apart
Little Richard’s piano — pounding roots, slamming accents, and running wild
Other genres may echo the bounce in their phrasing and feel, but early rock and roll made it the backbone. It was a statement. A rejection of square. A celebration of glorious instability.
That’s the Kaplan Bounce. And once you feel it — you never un-feel it.