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Thread: Tempo

  1. #26

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    Interesting thread. clarification needed. I have a drum kit, but (as yet) I do not play. I am learning Bass guitar. everything I have read tells me that the bass and drums should work together, but the bass is responsible for keeping the time and cueing the chords for the lead guitarist. this gives the drummer an opportunity to be "creative".am I out of line here???
    by the way, it is usually the lead guitarist who would be all over the bass player re tempo, no??? very interested in your (unbiased) comments.
    cheers
    Gerry

  2. #27

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    The drums are responsible for keeping the time. The bass player and drummer are responsible for creating the feel of the song and underlying rhythm. The bass player and the bass drum should lock with each other and play together as much as possible. If they are not in sync with each other the band will not sound tight no matter how good the musicians are.

  3. #28

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    Riff rath, It is everyones responsilbility in the band to lock into the time , usually set by the band's director and most commonly counted off by the drummer. the bass and drums should closely listen and flow with each other and lock in as a tight pulse/feel. When you start playing with a few bands you will understand this more, as a side note when you find a bass player you really lock in with and pretty much understand each others playing without any words needing to be exchanged, then this is a great feeling, however when that perfect combination gets split up and a new guy comes in on the scene, well, that is a sad day and a very hard adjustment. it will take time and I hope it will soon gel or Im off onto a new project.

  4. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by RIFF WRATH View Post
    everything I have read tells me that the bass and drums should work together, but the bass is responsible for keeping the time and cueing the chords for the lead guitarist.
    That is a bizarre concept to me. The bass and drums SHOULD be one unit to the rest of the band, but if there is ever any confusion/mishap/near-trainwreck, the drummer is definitely the one who leads the tempo and feel of the beat.

  5. #30

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    I've always thought that the drums anchor the band, the guitar is floating around, and the bass provides the connection between the two to prevent it all crashing down.

    Weird analogy but still!
    Today, on Ethel The Frog...

  6. #31

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    Not a bad analogy Ethel!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  7. #32

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    thanks for your clarification. and Ethel, well done. short and succint. I haven't been around too many drummers, but guitarists seem to want a bass player first, then a drummer. seems guitarists are always whining about the bassist.(or one thing or another...lol)

    interesting word "tempo", very close to "temper"
    cheers
    Gerry

  8. #33

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    Old school philosophy...A band cannot exist without a Bass player. The Root of the chord is the fundamental to everything. A band can, however, exist without a drummer. Drummers such as Gene Krupa, Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, Davey Tough and Shadow Wilson lifted the drums out of the role of "Time keeper" and helped to usher in the era of set drumming which has been an inspiration, in one way or another, to all of us. It is the Essence of the Bass player to keep that time locked and steady regardless of who counts it off. It is the Bass player that has really made it so much more fun for the drummers.
    Can you imagine how boring it would be if all we had to do is sit behind a drumset and just beat the bass drum 4 to the bar? UGH!! A bass player with a command of his instrument makes it possible for everything that we take for granted in playing our drums today. The one thing that cannot be excused, however, is the drummer who does not know how to listen. We, who sit behind these wondrous boxes of tonalities, have the sacred duty and obligation of listening to the entire ensemble and determine that the proper Tempo is set and maintained. It is the place of the Bassist to assist the drummer in this task. The Bass not only maintains the Time but also sets forth the chord progression that anchors the musicality of the ensemble. That the two of them, bass and drums, have to be as ONE is THE profound truth of the Musical Life. One cannot over shadow the other but each can support the others creativity. Let the bass listen to progression and be in tune with the band but let the drummer listen to ALL so that he/she may set that time so that all start and end as ONE. Do I hear an Amen?

  9. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by armyoflarry View Post
    the drummer is always right
    man i love that!...gonna make that my signature. now to see if my wife will buy into it!

    And Here is the AMEN frank....great description of the roles.
    Last edited by cdaug; 04-18-2008 at 01:20 PM.

  10. #35

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    man i love that!...gonna make that my signature. now to see if my wife will buy into it!


    When I was a high school band director, I had posted the Rules Of The Band on my office door:

    Paragraph 1: The Band Director is always RIGHT!

    Paragraph 2. If the Band Director is ever found to be wrong, then paragraph 1 shall apply.

  11. #36

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    We've all had those days and sometimes you just need to groove as simple as possible to get thru the 1st set.Often when it comes to the meter we as drummers always get the blame,even when the bass player is all over the place and the guitar player is playing so fast during their solo,yet some how we need to block that out and keep the meter going.I started playing with a new Band and was having a real hard time keeping the meter.The songs all seemed to speed up and slow down and although I'm not perfect,I'm not that bad either.My guitar player gave me a DVD of our gig and after listening to it I finally realized the bass player was speeding up and slowing down and I was trying to keep pace with him.I now try to block him out and just play the song and its a whole different feel.So much better.It would be nice if we could all be musicians that listen to the music and know how to play as a band,but...in the real world that just doesnt always happen.

  12. #37

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    Time, tempo, and groove have definitions.

    Time is the absolute space between notes.

    Tempo is the overall speed of the song/piece.

    Groove is something that the drummer and the rest of the rhythm section need to work out among themselves. Meaning: you all must be reasonably good players, understand each others' playing, and like one another. When groove happens, you'll need no further explanation.
    Last edited by Herb Utsmelz; 04-18-2008 at 09:28 PM.
    No, I still won't play Wipe Out.

  13. #38

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    Wow. Sounds like the bassist is an "expert" on time. When playing live, if the drummer plays a little slow or fast, I just play with him. Who cares if it a couple BPMs off. As long as the song flows, that's all that matters. If we play a song a little or a lot fast, I usually say to the drummer, "Wow, a lot of energy in that song". It doesn't mean I am complaining, but sometimes it gives the song a fresh feel. Sometimes I wish songs would go faster towards the end of the set. Sometimes I get this unbearable urge to go to the bathroom.

  14. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by bassist learning drums View Post
    Sometimes I wish songs would go faster towards the end of the set. Sometimes I get this unbearable urge to go to the bathroom.
    Now there's a voice of experience!!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  15. #40

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    Make sure your guitarist does a long Hendrix-type solo as part of the last song so you can do what ya gotta do!
    keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!

    Charlie

    "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854

    "There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value." --In memory of Frank "fiacovaz" Iacovazzi

    "Maybe your drums can be beat, but you can't."--Jack Keck

  16. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    Now there's a voice of experience!!

    Ya like that one! I have another one for ya>>>>>>>


    I can changed a broken string during a song. I sometimes break a string and usually no one sees my cues. So the next song starts and I am scurrying thru my bag to find a string to put on. Mind you I am playing as much of the song as I can. I rip off the old, if I hadn't already. Put new one on stretch and tune it in quickly. Keep in mind I play a 6 string. I don't mind doing it, it looks good on stage.....

  17. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by bassist learning drums View Post
    Ya like that one! I have another one for ya>>>>>>>


    I can changed a broken string during a song. I sometimes break a string and usually no one sees my cues. So the next song starts and I am scurrying thru my bag to find a string to put on. Mind you I am playing as much of the song as I can. I rip off the old, if I hadn't already. Put new one on stretch and tune it in quickly. Keep in mind I play a 6 string. I don't mind doing it, it looks good on stage.....
    Dude, you're awesome!!! If you can do that, and make it look cool, my hat's off to you BLD!!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  18. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    Dude, you're awesome!!! If you can do that, and make it look cool, my hat's off to you BLD!!

    Thanks! I try not to make it a circus act, butif it happens I can wing it. Kind of good to have a 6 string. There are much more places to play, if need be.

  19. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by bassist learning drums View Post
    Thanks! I try not to make it a circus act, butif it happens I can wing it. Kind of good to have a 6 string. There are much more places to play, if need be.
    Reality check BLD, you got guitar envy. time seek help before its too late.

  20. #45

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    What's tempo?

  21. #46

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    I am assuming you are joking, otherwise you would be an interesting drummer to play with! If my assumption is wrong, Herb had a great definition higher up this page.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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    Buy Gifts for Drummers. And don't miss the free Drum Lessons!

  22. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by fiacovaz View Post
    Old school philosophy...A band cannot exist without a Bass player. The Root of the chord is the fundamental to everything. A band can, however, exist without a drummer. Drummers such as Gene Krupa, Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, Davey Tough and Shadow Wilson lifted the drums out of the role of "Time keeper" and helped to usher in the era of set drumming which has been an inspiration, in one way or another, to all of us. It is the Essence of the Bass player to keep that time locked and steady regardless of who counts it off. It is the Bass player that has really made it so much more fun for the drummers.
    Can you imagine how boring it would be if all we had to do is sit behind a drumset and just beat the bass drum 4 to the bar? UGH!! A bass player with a command of his instrument makes it possible for everything that we take for granted in playing our drums today. The one thing that cannot be excused, however, is the drummer who does not know how to listen. We, who sit behind these wondrous boxes of tonalities, have the sacred duty and obligation of listening to the entire ensemble and determine that the proper Tempo is set and maintained. It is the place of the Bassist to assist the drummer in this task. The Bass not only maintains the Time but also sets forth the chord progression that anchors the musicality of the ensemble. That the two of them, bass and drums, have to be as ONE is THE profound truth of the Musical Life. One cannot over shadow the other but each can support the others creativity. Let the bass listen to progression and be in tune with the band but let the drummer listen to ALL so that he/she may set that time so that all start and end as ONE. Do I hear an Amen?
    HOLA COMO ESTAS FIACOVAZ *FRANK *CREATIVE ARTISTIC DRUMMER ARTIST (CAT) MI AMIGO EXCELLENT AS within YOUR FINE TUNED
    WAY that you EXPRESSED the FACTS *GRACIAS Mi amigo*& SINCE what You STATED IS TRUE WITHIN AS ALL THE MUSICIANS (CATS/CATRESS) ALL MUST BE VERY AWARE OF THE ACTUAL ARTISTRY of EACH INSTRUMENT(PERFORMER-PLAYER) as then THE WHOLE UNIT IS (1) VERY FINE IN TUNED
    SOUND as then THE MUSIC Will Take the (LISTENER-AUDIENCE) Within A
    FANTASTIC AMAZING JOURNEY***GRACIAS

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