What Exactly is "The Pocket"?

[funkifiedsoul]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

You'll know when you feel it.

Agree with Jimmy, and when the band is in the pocket (tightly) it sounds like one instrument.

[BassChuck]

Originally Posted by amper

The term is, in my experience, generally used to describe a state reached by the rhythm section in which there seems to be a sort of mystical link between the drummer and the bassist, where no matter how far ahead or behind the beat you choose to play in order to make your musical statement, you both come back on the downbeat perfectly in time, and propelling the audience and your fellow musicians forward with a spiritual energy that just has to be experienced to be fully understood.

Yea, I agree. It's a communication thing. NOT necessarily the same as playing together. You have to play well together to have the pocket, but just being together isn't all that it is.

[905]

Originally Posted by Bassmickeyd

The pocket.
Do you play pool?
Sorry.......
I'd say its the breathing part of playing with others. Sometimes if the drummer plays on top of the beat with the guitarist I back off and play slightly behind the beat to give it space and breathing room. It makes everyone relax a little because we're not all rushing. If the drummer plays behind the beat I might move it up a little to widen the groove.
The pocket is a living breathing thing.

I've never really "got" the behind/in front of the beat thing.

Are you talking about syncopation, or resting at the end of a measure (f.ex) ?

[cdef]

Originally Posted by 905

I've never really "got" the behind/in front of the beat thing.

Are you talking about syncopation, or resting at the end of a measure (f.ex) ?

It's not the same as syncopation. There is a "gray zone" on either "side" of each theoretical beat that can be creatively exploited in rhythm section playing. If you listen to Pino Palladino's bass on DeAngelo's Voodoo album, he's purposely dragging the beat to the extent of nearly falling off the cart, but it makes for exquisite musical tension.

"The Pocket" is where the music begins to happen rhythmically as if moving by a will of its own. It's effortless, it just flows. There is no technical definition of this that I'm aware of, but once you've been there you'll always know it.

[lunarpollen]

In the past, I was under the impression that "in the pocket" meant when a bassist plays in synch with the kick drum, being kind of generic in tone, and doing nothing to stand out in any way.

Then I came to figure that it meant playing bass parts that define the heart of the rhythm for the given songs, and never neglecting that duty to do fancy or clever stuff. You could still have a very distinctive tone, and do fills and melodic stuff or tricks, but never at the expense of the rhythm. The pulse always has to be provided by your bass at all times.

But now I am not so sure what it means.

[funkifiedsoul]

...and, when you improvise something subtle like a triplet or something in a very unsuspecting spot, and the drummer also plays the same exact
thing. You immediately look at eachother and smile. "Mystic pocket"?

[Asher S]

ghiadub gave a link to a great example by Vic Wooten (link below), because in that video Vic always keeps the fundamental bass line present so that even if he weren't filling in over it, the foundation is there, EVEN when he plays Caravan at about 8 minutes. I think that foundation is the pocket. Try to listen to the bass line while excluding his fills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU4ZFx3OS38

[Muusers]

well, the vic said something along the lines of; you can't hold no groove if you ain't got no pocket

[2x4strgkramers]

Ok here are 2 graphic exmplaes.

I would call this pocket playing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsmXBQawrRk

I call this not the pocket else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVNrWbL-QDo

Here ia another example of pocket playing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND-iW51idC0

Here is another example of not pocket playing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdJvHE8qxA

Each has its merits but pocket playing is more of a way of defining the harmony rythym brdge whereas pocket playing is the empyhsys of playing inside of that rythm and melody structure everything else could be construed as not being in the pocket.

Hopefully the graphic exmplaes make the concept easier to grasp.

BTW these illustration are not meant to be knocks on anyone in the videos.

Originally Posted by bencwalker

Call me a fool, butI've heard the term used in my 3 years of bass playing, mostly online, but I have no clue what it means. Any help is appreciated!

Ben

[Allen_VA]

It's when all the individual instrument sounds fit together in such a way that you lose the sense of individuality and feel like you're one with the group. A big grin usually subconsciously appears on your face.

[Ric5]

In the pocket = Locked in with a good drummer.

[iplaybassguitar]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

This.

only white boy up there and hes still groovin the hardest. well, maybe ?uestlove and him are tied, but still.