Playing on the click

[Steven Melensen]

Hi Janek!

Next week I'm gonna record the bass tracks of my band's upcoming album. I would like to know if you have tips to be perfectly in time with the metronome.

Recently i have been recording myself with a click and it's pretty hard to be always on the click (most of the time I play before and sometime after). Although it sounds tight, I would like to sound more tight.

Do you have any suggestion/exercices to help me with my timing issue?

Thanks in advance.

[janekbass]

well it depends on a few things. I often like to just give the drummer the click, and then just lock to the drums. But if you're only track bass then I guess it's just you and the click.

I would feel the beat as long as possible. Have quarter note subdivisions but really feel the one. That will anchor you in to the groove being in the right place.

At least this is how I tend to feel it. It also depends on what kind of music you're playing too. The feel might be such that you want to feel the two and four more than the rest of the beats of the bar.

Relaxing, knowing the music, and being able to concentrate on the time are all you need to be thinking about to make it as smooth as possible.

Easy,

Janek

[Sorax]

Originally Posted by janekbass

Relaxing

is the big one for me

[sflajimmy]

My old teacher use to say: "play through the click" not so much on the click. I guess it depends on what your playing. He was always big on getting me to play more legato and not "choking" the notes off.

[Steven Melensen]

Thanks guys!

You gave me some pretty helpfull tips.

[MPBASS]

Hey!!! when I play with a click track I try to think of the beat like part of the groove I'm playing...I notice how my notes are on the click, how they bounce of it etc and also noticing the rests and space that the beats take up when you are not playing...it is very much a kind of awareness exercise that makes you concentrate on what you are doing...writing down your bass lines and actually seeing on which beats your notes fall is also an intresting thing to do especially when you move the click on beats that are not the downbeat...this helps you feel the upbeats with more confidence...the cool thing is that if you have a deep knowledge of the music you are playing and you have given yourself the chance to absorb the grooves of the music you love all this stuff might not even be necessary

hope this helps!!!!

[Andrew.Glose]

Well, you can groove, physically, like Janek does, hehe. When you catch a glimpse of him, he's into it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YOD7PM_vJFY

Andrew