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06-08-2010, 03:31 PM
| | | | The rhythm and the late drummer
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Hey people
I have been an Elton John fan for some time. Besides playing bass, I play the drums too.
To me it sounds like Elton's drummer, Nigel Olsson, always plays the snare beat a little late, but keep up the time with the rest of the beats, in a way that it doesn't really sound off, it sounds really cool instead.
Please listen to the links above and tell me if this is what you hear too. If he is in fact exactly on time, what is it about his drumming that is so different from the "regular" drummers? It definitely sounds like he is slowing down the band to me. Kinda odd but really nice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJYW-...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l91Wv...eature=related |
06-08-2010, 03:35 PM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maine/Vermont | | | Personally, I think that's the key to many great sounding bands- the ability to play just behind the beat in unison. |
06-08-2010, 04:19 PM
| | Registered User
A&R, Soulless Corporation Records | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Round Rock, TX | | | How do you mean "behind the beat?" Is it like a 16th syncopation, or what? |
06-08-2010, 04:28 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Garmisch, Germany | | | They way I visualize playing behind (on or in front of) the beat is to imagine each beat as a pear shape. If you play at the very tip of the pear you're playing on top of the beat. If you play on the right side of the pear you're playing slight behind the beat. But you're not changing the tempo. For some great examples of the feel this lends to the music, listen to the Funky Meters... |
06-08-2010, 04:28 PM
| | Registered User
A&R, Soulless Corporation Records | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Round Rock, TX | | | Why a pear? |
06-08-2010, 04:41 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, California | | | Probably to emphasize the perception that playing behind the beat sounds "fatter" so it's on the fat part of the pear. |
06-08-2010, 04:43 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, California | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Beginner Bass  How do you mean "behind the beat?" Is it like a 16th syncopation, or what? | Much smaller than a 16th, usually it's almost not a measurable delay, maybe a 128th or so. It's a feel thing, like the snare sound "lazy" or "heavy". |
06-08-2010, 04:45 PM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maine/Vermont | | Quote:
Originally Posted by smeet Much smaller than a 16th, usually it's almost not a measurable delay, maybe a 128th or so. It's a feel thing, like the snare sound "lazy" or "heavy". | Exactly. If you have to quantify it, you're missing it. |
06-08-2010, 04:45 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tampa Florida | | | wow his singing is kinda bad live |
06-08-2010, 04:48 PM
| | | | It seems that it is a "wide known" thing that I was not aware of. Could you guys give some links with other "late drummers"? Youtube if possible. |
06-08-2010, 04:50 PM
| | | | I cant listen at work but as a drummer i know exactly what it is you refer to. Thats one thing that makes a good drummer. The ability to push or pull and greatly control the feel of the music. By delaying the backbeat like that it creates some tension which then gets released when it actually hits which creates that deep feel which is just a powerful feel really. Especially in something like a ballad.
The opposite works in different ways too. Pushing the band can give the music a more driving feel which creates a different type of tension and release. Its like a building energy thing. Like a train barely staying on the tracks.
Just my thoughts on things anyways.
Time and feel are tools that are just as important as the notes you play. |
06-08-2010, 05:04 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound | Interesting. I didn't really like the songs, not my kind of thing, but it was interesting too hear. Specially the first one with the floating speeds and late snare.
Thanks. |
06-11-2010, 12:56 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dallas, TX | | | I used to play with a drummer that was very deliberate about how he played relative to the beat. It kept me on my toes a bit, and was a good experience for me. I got used to playing with him, and it became a bit of a musical joke to play off the beat, but then end up together at the beginning of the next verse, etc. Our favorite time to do this was when hosting a blues jam and a guitarist would go on an extended, self-indulgent solo. We would drift a bit, and about the time the guitarist started noticing something, we'd realign as if nothing had happened. (too often the guitarist would just be playing 197th notes at 200bpm and not notice, however, but that's a different story...)
He also used to vary the way he played shuffles from song to song. On some songs, he played a straight triplet feel, but on others it lagged to more of a 16th feel. This isn't exactly the subject of this discussion, but it did change the feel considerably. |
06-11-2010, 02:22 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Rilander wow his singing is kinda bad live | Time wounds all heels. I saw him numerous times many years ago & he was spot-on. Now...not so much. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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