timing

[patrickroberts]

When i play songs such as...supersonic by oasis, i can play the song easily, because it is. But my problem s keeping in time, anything i can do to keep in time with the bass line?

[reedo35]

Originally posted by patrickroberts
When i play songs such as...supersonic by oasis, i can play the song easily, because it is. But my problem s keeping in time, anything i can do to keep in time with the bass line?

Please,please,PLEASE get a metronome or a drum machine,and practice with it.It is a must-have for every bass player.

[Boplicity]

This is the third time I tried to answer this. AOl keeps cutting me off, so I will make it short and terse, before I cut off. I don't mean to sound like a smartbutt.

One: Do you really KNOW the song? Do you know where the verse, chorus, bridge, solo, etc fall in the song. If you are kind of waiting to hear what comes next, you'll lose your timing in a split second.

Two: Do you listen for the bass drum? In rock, you need to do that to saty with the drummer's pulse.

Three: Do you know your fretboard or are you losing time searching for a note or not knowing the best way to get from note to note?

Four: Do you have good technigue? Are you fretting with only three fingers and not four? That will slow you down enough to lose time.

I'll post this before I get cut off, then I'll post another set of hints.

Jason Oldsted

[Boplicity]

I'm back. Here's a way to test yourself to see if you really know the song.

Put on the tape or CD and play along for a verse, for example. Mute the sound of the CD, but keep playing awhile, then "unmute" the sound. Have you lost your place? Are you ahead of the song or behind the song?

Another idea. Play your bassline with NO music. Can you do it? Do you really know where the verses, bridges, choruses, solos, etc are? Or do you get lost? If you play with no music, can you keep a steady beat or do you tend to drag?

when you listen to the song, can you hear the bass drum? Try to identify that. In rock, the drummer keeps the time. Well, actually, everyone is responsible for their own time, but the drummer has the chief responsibility. Listen to the Oasis song just for the drums. There will be ques, the bass drums, fills with symbols to tlet you know where you must be in the song.

I'd better sign off. Good luck, trying these ideas to help your timing in that song.


Jason Oldsted

[reedo35]

Even if you know the song, practice with a metronome anyway. I can't emphasize this enough.

[Mandude]

Ya' married? File for divorce and head to a shotgun chapel in Vegas with your favorite metronome. That might be a little extreme, nontheless, sit down for a little while a day and work with a time keeper of some sort. You'll find that you'll no trouble keeping time if you stick with it.