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View Poll Results: Have you ever been called a pocket player? | |
Yes
|    | 59 | 73.75% | |
No
|    | 21 | 26.25% |
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01-29-2009, 06:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sherman Texas | | | What is a pocket player?
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We have been auditioning drummers for a new project and several of them said that they liked my playing. The comment in general was that I'm a pocket player. I had heard this before but need to hear from bass players what exactly that means to you guys. So, what does this mean to you? |
01-29-2009, 07:03 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Niagara Falls, NY | | | It's a nice compliment IMO. Means you groove, keep good time, handle transitions well, basically hold the rhythm section down. |
01-29-2009, 07:05 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: London, England | | No higher compliment, IMO 
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01-29-2009, 07:16 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pennsylvania | | | its a guy that constantly jingles his change in his pocket, hoping to derive some cheap thrill from it...
No, no Im just joking, its the above... |
01-29-2009, 07:33 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sherman Texas | | Quote:
Originally Posted by jgroh  its a guy that constantly jingles his change in his pocket, hoping to derive some cheap thrill from it...
No, no Im just joking, its the above... | That was my original fear! HA |
01-29-2009, 02:17 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Higgie No higher compliment, IMO | couldn't agree more.
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01-29-2009, 02:32 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sunny St Pete, Florida | | I agree, it's a very good compliment.
Often it's more important "where" you place the note than which note you choose to play.
It's also good to work with other musicians who appreciate that. 
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01-29-2009, 02:46 PM
|  | *kidding* | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northern California | |  *Have you ever been called a pocket player?* & *What is a pocket player?* are two entirely different questions. I vote 'invisible'.
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Originally Posted by Some chick on NPR THAT is a spectacularly difficult question... | |
01-29-2009, 02:48 PM
|  | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kenosha, WI 53140 | | | Some of the best moments playing come while I am in the pocket. For me, it is a zone, deep within the music. I get drenched in the kick drum and the rhythem and fall back into the relm of our jams. It is a very cool place to be. Since we play 20+ minute songs, the pocket is deep and wide and travels distances while holding the middle ground for the band to revolve around.
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01-29-2009, 02:52 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Denver, CO | | If anyone ever calls me a "pocket player", they should have their head examined. More frequently, I'm called a "wanker bassist". |
01-29-2009, 02:58 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horsham, Pa | | | I'm a pocket player. And I play bass. lol
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01-29-2009, 03:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SF (North) Bay Area | | | Pocket player = playing the right note (harmonically tasty) at the right time (creating groove), without being busy or adding extra notes for flash (wanking). |
01-29-2009, 03:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sioux Falls, SD | | | It means you make the drummer's job easier by instinctively being "with" him/her on timing, groove, dynamics, etc. It means you are a good "partner" in the rhythm section.
If you are ever told that you are "easy to play with", it's the same compliment, just stated differently. And yes, it is a high compliment. Congratulations, and I hope you get a great drummer to work with because there is nothing better. |
01-29-2009, 03:16 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 818 ~ 805 ~ L.A. | | Someone that works the groove well with the drummer and rhythmic pulse instruments. Strong pocket players can carry the band. The drummer and bass player make each others job easier and the melodic and other rhythm instruments don't need to try to drive the band; they go for a ride...  |
01-29-2009, 03:53 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Champaign, IL | | | I guess I'm a pocket wanker? I've been told my wanking is timed right and doesn't overdo it. But it's still wanking. |
01-29-2009, 03:58 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sioux Falls, SD | | | Just to add, I think there is also implied an element of "laid back authority". Which sounds contradictory but really means you are "there" and everyone knows you know what you're doing, but you are not in anyone's face about it.
Like one fairly "busy" drummer told me one time, "I can pretty much go off and do whatever I want cause I know when I come back you'll be where you're supposed to". (BTW, it is not always the easiest to play with drummers of that mindset and I'm not sure I would advise it, but you know what I'm getting at.) |
01-29-2009, 04:06 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Dunbar, West Virginia | | | You wanna examples of 'pocket players'? How 'bout George Porter, Jr., Donald 'Duck' Dunn, Carl Radle, Nathan East, Leland Slkar, Kenny Gradney. These are all guys where the soloist can go to Mars if he/she wants to and the groove will still be there in time when they return.
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01-29-2009, 04:11 PM
| | ...overly qualified for janitorical deployment... | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cameron, NC USA | | I've been called that several times.
I figured it was just a nice way of telling me that I don't have the chops to be a wanker.  |
01-29-2009, 04:25 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sioux Falls, SD | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Thangfish I've been called that several times.
I figured it was just a nice way of telling me that I don't have the chops to be a wanker. | Hey, I'll cop to that. |
01-29-2009, 04:29 PM
| | | | there's a common ground between being in the pocket and expressing yourself - I like how Jamerson would subtly alter the line throughout and still keep it deep, I love to work on that as much as I love being able to hit one note and still groove, because I am playing the silences as well | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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