One of the best ways I’ve found to keep ideas flowing is to write them down. I keep a catalog of my ideas; should I forget, I can refer to it often. One of the concepts in my catalog involves taking any pattern in any time signature and rearranging the order of the beats. Then play it!

Example 1, 2, 3, 4, rearranged, could be 4, 1, 2, 3, or 3, 4, 1, 2,

or any similar arrangement. This is a means of expanding the original idea, sort of a theme and variations. Looking at one idea from many viewpoints gives those ideas depth. The example above uses quarter notes, but this same concept can be used with eighth notes and sixteenth notes.

Here’s the system for eighth notes:
4
4 (A.) 1 an 2 an 3 an 4 an (B.) an 1 an 2 an 3 an 4 (C.) 4 an 1 an 2 an 3 an

As you can see the last eighth note in each pattern becomes the first beat of the pattern that follows. The same applies with sixteenth notes:
4
4 (A.) 1 e an a 2 e an a 3 e an a 4 e an a ( B.) a 1 e an a 2 e an a 3 e an a 4 e an (C.) an a 1 e an a 2 e an a 3 e an a 4 e

The sixteenth note system will include the quarter note and eighth rearrangement. This system makes possible very unique sounding, time keeping patterns since it will take you away from the 2 & 4 left hand. Keep in mind that this doesn’t work in all situations and for it to work effectively, you must think about the context you’re playing in. Here are some examples:

Note how the above bar could produce an entirely new pattern simply by rearranging the above to read:
a 1 e an a 2 e an a 3 e an a 4 e an

The next version would read as follows:
an a 1 e an a 2 e an a 3 e an a 4 e

Here are the remainder of the possible patterns:
e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4
4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a
a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an
an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e
e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3
3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an  a
a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e  an
an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2  e
e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a  2
2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an  a
a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e  an
an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1  e
e  an  a  2  e  an  a  3  e  an  a  4  e  an  a  1

To get the most benefit from these exercises, write each and every pattern out and then go back and play them all. This is challenging, so take your time and study hard.