Hal Leonard's Bass Method "Private Eye Man"

[catyak]

This is one of the first D string exercises in Ed Friedland's bass method. I'm having trouble playing along to the CD. It sounds like the drum is playing on the downbeat on four but on the "and" of beat two. So, one two AND three FOUR.

I can play the exercise just fine when I'm tapping my foot and not listening to the CD, but when I turn on the CD I keep stumpling there. I hadn't realized how much I've been relying on that drum hitting straight on the beats until now. The foot goes at the right rhythm but it feels just plain odd to hear that snare a half beat later.

Being new to this game, I worry that I'm actually not counting right so I am hoping someone can double check for me.

Do I have that beat right and he's sneaking in an off-beat to prepare me for tougher rhythms down the line or am I just missing the beat on this exercise?

[greggster59]

All I can go by is the way you're counting "one two AND three FOUR". If one thru four are all on the downbeat (quarter notes) then between two and three is an eighth note on the upbeat.

[catyak]

Thanks. It just feels really weird to not be following the drum.

[greggster59]

You are following or locking with the drum. It's just that sometimes there is a space instead of a note at a particular interval. Again, I don't know the particular exercise but getting familiar with this type of structure really helps develop rhythmic sense. The upbeat is when your foot is raised as you tap it in time. It helps to use a metronome and practice at a tempo that is comfortable until you internalize the concept. Try playing a note on the beat of the metrnome, then play it between the beats. The play two notes per beat counting one and two and three and so on.

With 16th notes there will be four pulses between each count One-e AND-a-Two, etc.. That's where funk lives.

[germ_77]

I still find this one really weird too, I always feel like im either too slow or rushing on it when im not.

[MattP]

Check out Anthony Wellington's Yardstick of time and groove. It's a good exercise to help you acknowledge all subdivisions of a beat. This is from Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop.

[catyak]

Originally Posted by MattP

Check out Anthony Wellington's Yardstick of time and groove.

I have that Wooten DVD. Both of them are good communicators and there's a lot of value in that exercise for me (albeit at a much slower pace).

The question, though, is am I hearing that particular track correctly or not. I think that I am but it would be nice to get confirmation.

Like the germ_77 says, it feels like I'm rushing when I hear that snare hit. It would give me warm fuzzies to know that I'm supposed to be getting that uncomfortable feeling on that track.