Playing behind the beat, on the center or on top on the same song

[Music_for_life]

Do you think it is wrong to change the feel between chorus and verses for example?? or in the guitar solo playing ahead??
It would sound extrange???

[jmattbassplaya]

That's a very common thing to play with. Do whatever sounds best to you

[agreatheight]

Not at all. I think moving the placement of your notes can effectively change the feels in a song to make things more aggressive (ahead) or more relaxed (behind). You can use it like a dynamic - the shift can signify a change in emotion!

[pbass2]

You're on the right track if you're even thinking about this.
Lots of different styles require a different approach to the time, let alone different parts of songs as you suggest need subtle nuance in time and feel. To do sessions you gotta know how to have control over this big-time.
Dunno if you listen to much reggae, but a prime example of true expertise in this is Aston "Family Man" Barrett--check out how he weaves through the time of a song, sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling, sometimes dead-on(and sometimes all three within one bar if that's what makes it move!). Pino Palladino is crazy good at this too (try "Voodoo" by D'Angelo--he gets so far behind the beat at times, and its so good and greasy-funky.)
It's playing emotionally with the time--not just technically.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

That's a very common thing to play with. Do whatever sounds best to you

+1

[Stumbo]

I would let the drummer know what's up and to work with you and not think that you're off time.

[swell9]

Just a quick question, can someone please provide an example of what playing behind the beat or ahead of the beat.

I probably know what it is and do it myself but am just unaware of the terminology.

[DasClyde]

Originally Posted by swell9

Just a quick question, can someone please provide an example of what playing behind the beat or ahead of the beat.

I probably know what it is and do it myself but am just unaware of the terminology.

I'm interested in this one as well.

[FretlessMainly]

ALthough I don't have examples of this right now, these terms really are just what they sound like they should be:

1. Ahead of the beat - really pushing the tempo without actually accelerating it. Somewhere out there in the ether is an isolated bass part for Roger Glover's line on Highway Star - that's this to a T.
2. On top of the beat - perhaps the most familiar style - really being in lock step with the beat - driving, but not so much as ahead of the beat.
3. Behind the beat - not draggin the beat down, but adding a casual swagger to it.

[Stumbo]

A few links on the topic:
Playing behind/ahead of the beat
"Feel"
Playing "in the pocket"

[shtik]

One not about this stuff - playing behind or ahead of the beat doesn't mean just that.. There are certain notes that should be left played spot on as a reference. Most of the time these notes will be ones that fall directly on a kick drum, snare drum etc. because otherwise it will just sound as if the bass is not locked with the drums.

It is a matter of taste and experience as to decide of which notes should be played out relatively to the grid and to what degree (I would compare it do % of quantize in midi).

As an example to what I said, if you try to take a bass track in your DAW and move the whole track right or left, it will make it sound relatively ahead or behind but will not necessarily groove. At some point it will just sound not locked with the other tracks, as it would still not groove.

Hard core Hip Hop and Reggae music have great examples of laid back bass grooves played in good taste, even if extreme sometimes..

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by swell9

Just a quick question, can someone please provide an example of what playing behind the beat or ahead of the beat.

I probably know what it is and do it myself but am just unaware of the terminology.

I have posted this before as a visual one to see it. Once you see it you will understand it better, and so be able to play it better.

The word beat says it all as it will represent the time and space between beats. Here is four bars of a beat IN 4/4

BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT / BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT / BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT / BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT

So on beat is always between E AND A in all examples and for a player to show that they must play in between the E and A to be considered showing the bat and playing it.

BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT

and you play to the ^ so you are on beat and showing it in your playing.

To be in front or ahead you play here

B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT B^EAT

So you are ahead of the beat in relation to it, but in reality the space between your own notes are even, so you are in time with yourself but ahead of the beat in the example as you are not showning in your playing. The beat is always there but now your relation to it is just in front.

BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T BEA^T

So now you are after the beat or behind it in relation to the example. Again you have an even note space so again you are in time to yourself, but after the beat to the example because again you do not show it, but it is always there the beat is always between the E and A.

BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT ^ BEAT

So now you are in between or off beat to the example, again you are in time to yourself but in-between the beat to the example.
remember the beat does not move, you move in relation to it or another instrument.

B^EAT B^EAT^ B^EA^T B^EAT^ B^E^A^T BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT^ BE^AT^ BE^AT^ B^EAT BEA^T BEA^T BE^AT BE^AT BE^AT

So now you are moving the feel around you are not in time with yourself far a straight time keeping is concerned or with showing the beat in the example, but the beat in the example is set as between E and A as we know, so you know where it is if you want to show it, or when it needs to ne shown. you are in fact playing syncopation to the beat like a funk player may do.

How you move it around in relation to the beat is called feel, and as said it should be developed to make the most of dynamics with it, this is a players style.

[swell9]

Thanks for the clarifications.

So this is basically playing half a beat off, for example, isn't it?
Or maybe it could be 1/16 off too.

[svtb15]

Depends on the drummer.. and the song style.. I will use Behind, ON or on top depending on style of the song and vibe we are trying to create.