Ear Timing Help

[steve-o l 15]

hey everybody,
I did a few searches but none of them were exactly what i was looking for
ok ive been playing for about 3-4 years and until recently when i joined a new band and started recording i hadnt realise i have a major timing problem . Basically i cant here if im on time or not when recording or even playing live(the 2nd one to a lesser extent).i hear myself ontime when playing but im not when listening back. i constantly miss beats either coming in to early or to late. i even tryed recording my bass to a police song de do do at home and found when listenig back i was constantly missing beats or speeding up etc.

It is very frustrating because we are going to be in the studio soon and i dont want to be screwing up for everybody.

Is there any specific exercises i can do with a metronome i can do to help these problems

thanks for your time and all help and advice is greatly appeciated

[armandine2]

If I was getting a metronome again I'd get the pianist ones which give the first beat as a struck bell.

[BassmanDk]

Well i guess we all have that probem in more or lesser extent. we can all be better at timing.
Your ears ( and ego) can fool you. You think or want to believe that you are synced with the music when you're playing. It's a natural thing. For some with giant egos they will never discover that they're not in sync.
Recording ( or really listening ) is the key!
When you practice; try to record youself playing with a drummachine or metronome( Wondering what Jeff Berlin is saying now). Play something simple like eights over a click playing 4's in a medium tempo. Just play the same tone. Actually that's not easy if done right but it's easy to explain. Record and listen. Do you hit the 1 2 3 4 with the click? Do the and's sound like they in the middle between the clicks. Is the playing even? try to correct and rerecord. Do this until it feels right. Try different tempi! Try playing something else. Record, listen, correct! Over and over again!
In live situations, try really listening to the kickdrum and hihat!then try to sense if your bass is playing the same rhytm(timing or whatever you'd call it). Be critical!! Notice if it feels good. Try not to be sidetrack be the fact that you're playing your favorite instrument with buddies you like. As we all know that can be intoxicating!!!( and thank god for that) If you are not liking what you hearing or feeling - correct it! That's tricky 'coz what to do? Focus on a missed beat and try to nail it next bar or next time around. Believe in youself and you will get eventually. Oh by the way - enjoy youself and look cool and smile at the pretty girl in the first row!!!
Hope this will help...

[DocBop]

Metronome, metronome, metronome.... No drum machine.

When working on your sense of time a drum machine masks too much.
Start clapping to a metronome and make sure you DON'T hear the beat. If you hear t the beat you are off, you need to make it disappear.

If you read music do it with reading exercises if you don't take a bass line you know the rhythm to. Then get the metronome going and count out loud while playing the bass line or reading. Much harder than it sound especially with syncopated lines. Once that is down now start practicing with the metronome only clicking on 2 and 4. That really helps it give you a beat on your own and then can check in.

Those are starter things to begin getting the internal metronome going. Also big help during practice tap your foot it is a great time keeper. Then when playing find some body part to move or whole body. Need to move and keep time.

[TwentyPast4]

Have you had much experience jam'n with others? A process I remembered going thru was the transition between concentrating on my playing and actually listening to the other band members. I needed to play along with the others rather than all of us individually playing the same material. When you're recording, try to drop the volume of the bass in the mix and just jam the tone along with the material already recorded. Try not to fall into your own little world, even if your timing is impeccable, becuase the drummer might slightly speed it up or down. I'm not saying that timing is not important, it is VERY important, but the other rule of the bass player is keep the band together. What helped me was jam'n along with albums. No tabs just closing my eyes and opening my ears.
If you have a hard time hearing yourself when you're jam'n others is a good clue that you might need to practice listening as well as playing. Just my 2 cents.

[steve-o l 15]

Thanks everybody for their advice,
Before this band i hadnt played alot with others, which could be a contributing factor to my timing...

I will practice all the things you all have said to do, its good advice... Thanks again