More rhythm problems—my own this time.

[Jack Clark]

Mr. Seaton, you helped me a lot recently with a rhythm problem I have with a friend who struggles with rhythm in general. Thank you, again, for that. But I also have my own more specific rhythm problems I'd sure like to run by you:

I still consider myself a beginner bassist as I've only been playing with other people for a few months. I've always felt that I've had above-average natural rhythm, but I'm struggling with my instrument in that regard. It's not that I can't hear when I'm a bit early or late—I can. It's just that it keeps happening. As of now, nobody else seems to notice (or they're too polite to say anything), but I sure do. I also have a tendency to rush more difficult passages and lag on easy ones. I don't know where that's all coming from. I've never had any problems like this when drumming my fingertips on a table top to music, even with intricate rhythms. But when I get my odd bass in my hands, I sometimes feel like I'm wearing boxing gloves, rhythm wise.

I tell myself that it's a good sign that I can hear it, at least, and that it's just a matter of mastery of my instrument. If that's true then I don't think I need rhythmic ear-training as much as rhythmic finger-training. Maybe I just need to woodshed a lot more? With a metronome? With play-alongs? (I have made and use many what I call "metronomic playalongs" using Finale notation software, which, at least theoretically, should be rhythmically perfect from first to last note. Should those be particularly useful?)

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

[Lynn Seaton]

Hi,
You have made some very good self observations. It is good to be honest with ourselves. Many people do exactly as you describe and rush the fast passages especially when improvising a solo. It is only natural that when you tap your fingers on the table the time is fine. You are not having to deal with the challenges of playing a two-handed instrument and the challenges of execution that come with that. You also have been using your fingers since you were born, but not playing bass that long.
Keeping the original melody in mind when soloing can help you to have a melodic solo and help keep the tempo steady. You also answered your own question with some ways to solve it. I believe it is important to work on our time feel by playing with a metronome (at many tempos) everything we do including scales, arpeggios, walking and soloing. Your self-created Finale play-a-longs would be great too. Play with great records and get into the time feel of the classic rhythm sections (Miles, Ellington, Basie, Jamal, Oscar Peterson, etc). Play with people better than you. Record yourself often and listen to how it really sounds. The tapes don't lie! Maybe some things sound better than you think. One of my "catch phrases" is: "You earn the right to stand with others by being able to stand alone."

[Jack Clark]

Thanks very much for your comments, Prof. Seaton. I'll be following your advice.