Timing

[Lowner]

I can play with a drum machine or metronome yet when it comes to playing with a live band I can't keep time. I seem to get thrown off by the guitar player . I have yet to figure that out why I get so thrown off by the guitar player. Maybe its cause I am a guitar player turned bass player. But can anyone give me any suggestions on how not to get so thrown off by the guitar player? Does that happen to anyone else?

[Cristo]

Easier said than done, but don't listen to the guitar so much for your time.

Focus more on the drums, and yourself. If you know the song, then just play it with the drummer like you were the only ones there. If the bass and drums are solid like that the guitar will fall in line.

If you are having to pay attention to the guitar because you don't know the song yet, then you are going to make his same timing mistakes.

Tap your foot. If your drummer is not good at timekeeping, along with the guitarist, then you are in trouble.

[emcekay]

Spend some quality time practicing this way, it has worked for me. Play with a metronome to get a groove / time. Then, turn off the metronome and play the groove and record it trying to accurately reflect the time and the feel. Do this until you feel like you are generating the groove without the help of the external source. This way, when you are playing with a weaker drummer (or if you are playing a gig without a drummer) you become the source of the time that people lock into. It is not an easy thing to do, granted. But this method has been very helpful. I did a gig with a piano player and had to really keep my time together. Trust me, drummers / guitar players / piano players will LOVE you. Good Luck.

[cowsgomoo]

it's probably because most guitarists don't have a fantastic sense of rhythm , and you're trying to be the glue between two different people's idea (of lack of idea) of where the groove sits

[Vorak]

Yeah, don't follow the guitar as much. You and your drummer are the ones who need to stay in time and its the two of you that judge how fast or how slow the song is going to be played. If your guitar player can't play along with that then its his own fault. A friend of mine who plays guitar always tries to lead everything when we jam together. He expects me to stay in time with him, when in fact it should be the other way around.

[ryco]

Sleep with a metronome on if you sleep alone. I did this in college. I set it to a different speed every night. Of course I can sleep through anything (like fire drills, fights, jam sessions).

There are some erotic uses for this method as well -- especially at slow speeds like 84 bpm

[kenlacam]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

it's probably because most guitarists don't have a fantastic sense of rhythm , and you're trying to be the glue between two different people's idea (of lack of idea) of where the groove sits

Totally agree!

[Lowner]

Originally Posted by ryco

Sleep with a metronome on if you sleep alone. I did this in college. I set it to a different speed every night. Of course I can sleep through anything (like fire drills, fights, jam sessions).

There are some erotic uses for this method as well -- especially at slow speeds like 84 bpm

What does sleeping with a metronome do??

[ryco]

I thought sleeping with a metronome running would ingrain straight time into my subconcious and beyond. I was a weird kid.

Did it work? I dunno but ppl say I have good time.

Er maybe they were saying I know how to have a good time

To give you an answer I would say learn to concentrate and focus on developing good time. It's important to listen and communicate with the players around you, but keeping good time is each players responsibility. But think of it as especially being your domain, bass god!

[Atoz]

Our drummer and I get together for "rhythm section" practices every so often. Helps us to lock into one another. Then when the whole band is together, WE dictate the tempo.