How to play over double time and half time drums?

[swell9]

Hello,

When a drummer is playing double time feel (i.e. hitting the snare on the upbeats) or half time feel (i.e. hitting snare on 3rd beat), what's the proper way to approach improvisation?

Is the beat counted in a "classic" manner where the count is adjusted so that the snare hits on 2 and/or 4 only? This would literarly cause the bpm to be halved or doubled.

Or is it counted the way its "feel" guides it. In thise case, the snare hit would be on the 3rd beat or on the upbeats of every single count.

Thanks

[Groove Master]

Originally Posted by swell9

Hello,

When a drummer is playing double time feel (i.e. hitting the snare on the upbeats) or half time feel (i.e. hitting snare on 3rd beat), what's the proper way to approach improvisation?

The goal is to have a change in the music so I think you should follow that change and make your part fits that change.

Originally Posted by swell9

Is the beat counted in a "classic" manner where the count is adjusted so that the snare hits on 2 and/or 4 only? This would literarly cause the bpm to be halved or doubled.

I think it depends on the harmony and the chord progression. Does it change like twice as long or twice as fast? I would say that this matter mainly if you have a written part. If not not just use your common sense for this.

[JimmyM]

There are times when you'll adjust, times when you won't, and everything in between. It is all a case by case basis, and there's no one answer. In the end, just do what you think sounds good.

[swell9]

Thanks for the help.
That means you really have to talk about it before hand with the drummer and the guitarist to nail it down, doesn't it?
Because sometimes the guitarist and the bassist are playing over a certain chord while the drummer hit the crash cymbal for example making the sound unfitting.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Groove Master

...
I would say that this matter mainly if you have a written part. If not not just use your common sense for this.

Thanks for this note. I have always used what I feel is easiest to count songs that are not written. But I thought I would confirm to see if there is a rule or even a convention to doing this. So thanks again.

[Marton]

Depends on what you play really. Over straight 8ths I generally just keep my line. That's also what Sting does in about every Police song, during the fade out .