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Thread: Tempo

  1. #1

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    What do you do when the bassist says ..... man you are dragging tonight?
    wev'e all been there havent we? a hard day plus lack of sleep or feeling punky can all lead to a sloppy set or two!!! so what to do when YOU here those dreaded words?
    [ No i will not accept slap the guy silly either!!]

  2. #2

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    Grab a Captain and Coke and wait 15 minutes. That usually perks me up. (It's the caffeine)
    Signature here

  3. #3

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    It hurts but it happens. Tell him what you told us... sorry, I'm tired. Then drink some caffeine as Bish said. If you haven't done it in a while, tape yourself playing every once in awhile to make sure your time is consistent otherwise.

  4. #4

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    You could work with a click track or metronome. Dunno if that will work with your band, but maybe it wasn't you that was dragging, a click track keeps everyone in time. If you don't want it to be audible to the audience, you could always put in an ear bud...
    ---- If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum. - chinese proverb

  5. #5

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    If it is a physical tiredness thing caffeine does help.
    A Red Bull or Monster drink does wonders for me after a looong work day (plus pack up & load out kit plus load in kit & set up plus wait around for a couple hours before we play the gig)... The secret for me is to drink it about 45 minutes to an hour before we go on.

  6. #6

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    I was watching a band a little while ago and in the middle of a song, one of the muso's walked over to the drummer and pretended to wind up the bass drum...

    That got him going in a hurry...

  7. #7

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    I think me and the new bass player just dont click!!
    I have a laid back, back beat and he is on top of it, somethings gonna give.
    I can usually adjust to different feel bass players , but this guy seems all rushed , I dont like.

  8. #8

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    I usually would say something like...You on something?...you're really speeding tonight! LOL

    all the best...

  9. #9

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    I'd tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine but my bassist is my husband so I can get away with it hehe

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    I think me and the new bass player just dont click!!
    I have a laid back, back beat and he is on top of it, somethings gonna give.
    I can usually adjust to different feel bass players , but this guy seems all rushed , I dont like.
    I am also usually laid back in the pocket, and it can be really difficult to play with a bassist who is in front of the beat. It feels like you're fighting a tug-of-war the whole time...
    I'm lucky that my last 2 bands have been with a bassist who is one of my best buddys and we learned to play together when we were aobut 15 years old... But we do still tell each other we are lagging or speeding all the time!

    You might need to demonstrate to this dude that you are at the correct tempo, but just playing in a pocket. Non-drummers often don't understand the difference between tempo and playing a little behind or in front of the beat.
    Good luck with it!

  11. #11

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    What an arrogant bassist! All the musicians should be listening to each other to make adjustments. Staying together is about listening to one another, and not "doing your own thing." Any team effort works the same way! I may not have been a member of a band, but I've been playing on teams for many, many years. No matter how good you think you are, without teamwork, you've got nothing!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  12. #12

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    I agree with Pb and DC. I really dont think alot guitarists and bassists know how difficult drums can be, alot of them think it is easy (well ones i know!) I would probably try and get on with him though, bass and drums are both in the same boat usually with similar roles. I do think thats quite rude really what he said, i would never say that to anyone. A touch of jealosy perhaps? One of our guitarists implyed the same to me and i just told him to f off lol. He knew i was joking

  13. #13

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    I am also usually laid back in the pocket, and it can be really difficult to play with a bassist who is in front of the beat. It feels like you're fighting a tug-of-war the whole tim

    You really nailed the issue here. Rhythm has to be either just ahead or behind the beat, as dictated by the music. Not always easy to perceive this. In Rat's case, could be that the Bass is ahead of the beat. It's only by experience, with a band, that we learn how to discern what it is we have to do. New player to the band tends to want to make a mark and establish credibility. I would tell Rat to let the Bass player in on a secret...he's to play the drummer's TIME. I have used four different bass players in last two years and tell them the same thing: I don't care how many notes they play, only care that they play MY TIME. Go Get' 'im, Rat!!

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    What an arrogant bassist! All the musicians should be listening to each other to make adjustments. Staying together is about listening to one another, and not "doing your own thing." Any team effort works the same way! I may not have been a member of a band, but I've been playing on teams for many, many years. No matter how good you think you are, without teamwork, you've got nothing!
    HOLA como estas PASTOR_BOB CREATIVE ARTISTIC ARTIST DRUMMER CAT**EXCELLENT POINT * So Right ITS all About & within COMPLIMENTING THE OTHER ARTIST *ARTISTRY working as A UNIT **THEN its A FANTASTIC JOURNEY *within the MUSIC For all that are LISTENING AND WATCHING** GRACIAS

  15. #15

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    Irregardless if you are dragging he should follow you, you set the time. And I doubt you are dragging enough for anyone to really notice unless your time is really bad, and I doubt that, you have been playing to long for that. So tell him to lay it in there and shut up!
    Last edited by backtodrum; 04-16-2008 at 09:14 AM.

  16. #16

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    my time is bang on, I always practise to a click, always have. The guy is a smokin bass player but he is ahead on everything!!, the funk stuff we do is not too bad coz I have upped the pocket to match , but the blues stuff just should not be ahead like it is, its horrible to sit there all wobbly. The next practise Im gonna play the click track on the dtx and move the pocket around just to make a point.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    my time is bang on, I always practise to a click, always have. The guy is a smokin bass player but he is ahead on everything!!, the funk stuff we do is not too bad coz I have upped the pocket to match , but the blues stuff just should not be ahead like it is, its horrible to sit there all wobbly. The next practise Im gonna play the click track on the dtx and move the pocket around just to make a point.
    sounds like you got the right idea rat. unfortunately if this guy is that hung up on himself you may not be able to ever convince him of anything. what might work is to play to his time during a practice for a few of the blues songs and see if he noticed, it should be obvious due to the rushed feel that should not be in blues. if he does, then ask him if he is capable of returning the favor and playing to your time. mabye then when your both in the pocket behind the click, he will be musically intuitive enough to hear what the right way sounds like. good luck with this.

  18. #18

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    Excellent idea Cdaug! It's not "in your face," but the point will gently be made!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by cdaug View Post
    sounds like you got the right idea rat. unfortunately if this guy is that hung up on himself you may not be able to ever convince him of anything. what might work is to play to his time during a practice for a few of the blues songs and see if he noticed, it should be obvious due to the rushed feel that should not be in blues. if he does, then ask him if he is capable of returning the favor and playing to your time. mabye then when your both in the pocket behind the click, he will be musically intuitive enough to hear what the right way sounds like. good luck with this.
    Hey, cdaug...if it's possible, I'd suggest that rat and his bassist not only play to each other's time, but also record it...sometimes we think we've got something bang-on, as rat suggested, but hearing it as the audience would hear it can be at least a revelation, if not a bit of a shock...

    Great suggestion, man!
    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

  20. #20

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    yeh i think I will record it bongo,
    I forgot to mention the dude also plays with his head back and eyes closed!! all the time.
    he's in his world , the band is in another.

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    I forgot to mention the dude also plays with his head back and eyes closed!! all the time.
    he's in his world , the band is in another.
    Rat, that says everything right there! Your bass player isn't about the sound of the band. He's lost in his own little world, and he'll expect everyone to adjust to him. If letting him hear a recording doesn't change his attitude, you may be looking for a new bass player regardless of how talented he is. It's actually funny too, because I don't know too many people that will pay to see a bass player as a solo act!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    I don't know too many people that will pay to see a bass player as a solo act!
    Except if it’s Flea from RHCP or Steve Harris from Maiden

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by pastor_bob View Post
    It's actually funny too, because I don't know too many people that will pay to see a bass player as a solo act!
    Unless he can play the opening theme from "Barney Miller" or do those slap riffs from "Seinfeld!"
    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

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by ratmycue View Post
    I think me and the new bass player just dont click!!
    I have a laid back, back beat and he is on top of it, somethings gonna give.
    I can usually adjust to different feel bass players , but this guy seems all rushed , I dont like.
    There is nothing worse than trying to play a laid back bluesy shuffle and a bass player playing on top of the beat. It totally ruins the feel of the song!

  25. #25

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    As someone who has played both bass and drums, I'd have to say that the bass player is the one who needs to adjust, unless you have real bad problems as a drummer keeping time. My guess is that since it was the bass player that was replaced, not you, that you are working good enough for the band.

    My old drum line instructor said that the drummer is always right, even when they are wrong. If everyone follows the drummer, the band will sound tight. Tell the bass player if he is so concerned with the time, maybe he is playing the wrong instrument. Both of you need to listen to each other and play off each other, but in the end the drummer holds the reigns when tempo and feel are concerned.

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