Walking Rhythm
A great way to practice basic rhythm is to walk in time with a metronome. Anyone who’s been in marching band knows what it’s like to walk in time. This is actually a great way to get rhythm in your body. The more you can make it a part of you, the easier it is. Greg Patillo and Project Trio’s Teacher Workshops employ this technique among others to bring fundamentals and creativity together. I’m a big fan of their process. They also have summer workshops for students that I highly recommend.
Metronome Practice
I’m the first to say practicing with a metronome can be difficult and frustrating. That’s a big reason I try to find as many ways as I can to turn it into a game.
Clapping Music by Steve Reich
This is a challenging but fun way to work on changing rhythms. Something that starts out very simply gets complex very quickly. I like the app he created to help practice. You can find it here for iPad and iPhone.