Finding time in odd Drum'n'Bass beats.

[Kid A]

Me and an amazing drummer friend of mine have been doing some Drum N Bass jams lately, and sometimes I just get lost if the beat. Now I have ok time, and most of the beats I can groove to, but sometimes the beats are just so obscure I have no idea where the beats are. Now, if I was playing with any less of a drummer I might put some blame on him, but this drummer is very well trained and is just a monster so I'm sure me getting lost in the beat is all my problem. To practice I've been putting on random Drum N Bass beats on drum machines and trying to play to those, and while I have been improving somewhat, I want to know if there is any other way I should be practiceing to find time in fast and confusing beats.

[jeff schmidt]

Drum n Bass - I love it - but have found few drummers that do it correctly on a kit. Not like an 808 anyway.

If the drummer is really that good, there will be a steady pulse you can tap your foot to underneath all the craziness. This is dance music after all.

Build lines off the pulse and try not focus too much on finding his "1" - chances are he's probably not even playing a "1" - he's just spazzing to a pulse.

Find the pulse and YOU can pick where the "1" is with your lines.

[steve66]

Bass is my second instrument. Ive been playing drums for a long time. Try alternating the groove. What I mean is that the drummer will lay down a kick pattern and play for x number of measures (allow 1 measure for transition to let you hear the pattern and come up with a bass line to his kick pattern) and for the next x number of measures you both play that pattern. Then you come up with a bass line and the drummer follows you with the kick drum. If your drummer is good he will be able to keep the kick beat steady. You should always tape the practice. You will be surprised how much you and the drummer will sound as you continue to work off each other.

[Wrong Robot]

I listen to a lot of Jungle music and breakcore and all around chaotic stuff. I also make a lot of it. I find that the bass often serves the timekeeper role more than the drums. Where, rather than playing off the drums, you just play off the tempo, and the drummer plays off you. If that makes sense.

For simple DnB, this isn't necessarily the case, but alot of breakcore stuff is essentially the drums/percussion being the driving force to the music, the melody almost and the bass and other instruments taking a backseat spot.

But ya, maybe you might want to try leading the time keeping role. You start the jam with a click and play to that, then have your drummer spaz out with the Jungle madness.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Kid A

Now I have ok time, and most of the beats I can groove to, but sometimes the beats are just so obscure I have no idea where the beats are. Now, if I was playing with any less of a drummer I might put some blame on him, but this drummer is very well trained and is just a monster so I'm sure me getting lost in the beat is all my problem.

Keeping ME in MY place/time is MY responsibility...not the drummer's; that was a hard lesson learned from my own 'monster drummer'(he sounded like a drummer + a percusionist while doing something on the kit in 'Odd' time vs. 4/4).
And it was a awakening that was long overdue.

Originally Posted by Kid A

...any other way I should be practicing to find time in fast and confusing beats.

You can try counting in half time.