What do you think of this timing exercise?

[Toronto Bassist]

So when I first started playing, my teacher noticed that sometimes my timing would speed up or slow down or sometimes not even be on at all, so he had me practice with a metronome. First on all beats, then with the click on 2 and 4. This was all well and good but then I noticed that I tended to lean on the click a little too much. It seems that if the drummer didn't play the snare or high-hat on 2 and 4, or if I had to play for a long stretch where the drummer drops out, my timing would suffer.

So I developed this exercise to test one's timing, and I guess rein it in somewhat as well. You need a drum machine or a sequencer and essentially what you do is to set it up with patterns that are not so predictable. For example, in the file below, you have a count-off and then it plays a click on 2 and 4 for four bars. Then it drops out for a bar and comes back in. Is your timing still in place? Did you speed up or slow down? Then it drops out for two bars before coming in. Then eventually it drops out for four bars before coming back in. And then things get switched and sometimes the click will only play on beat 4 or beat 3, etc.

The point is to get the practicing to a point where you develop your own internal sense of timing. What do you think - good idea or no? Try the file below (it's at 120 bpm) with a walking bassline or a riff that you like and see what you think.

Clicks at 120 bpm

[BigMacDaddy]

I like this idea, and in fact have used it. I actually have a program that randomizes when you hear the click. Forces you to be real honest.

[Toronto Bassist]

Yeah, very honest haha...like, "aagghh, I'm a bar behind!Stop rushing!"

[Asher S]

In case you haven't seen this, take a look:

http://www.bassplayer.tv/

--> in the menu on the left click on "Artist Features"
--> scroll down the menu and click on "Victor Wooten"
--> watch "Exercises 2"

He does something very much like what you're describing.

[Jim Nazium]

I think that's a great exercise.

[Toronto Bassist]

Wow, that's cool! If Victor does it, then it must be a good idea

I wonder why he says not to tap your foot though...maybe it becomes too much of a crutch, perhaps.

[Asher S]

Originally Posted by Toronto Bassist

Wow, that's cool! If Victor does it, then it must be a good idea

I wonder why he says not to tap your foot though...maybe it becomes too much of a crutch, perhaps.

He tells everyone else in the crowd not to tap their feet so that the student doesn't get distracted. But he taps his foot when he does the exercise (watch it to the very end, if you haven't: he gets down to 1 beat per 4 bars, while talking!).

[copreus]

Great exercise, Toronto! I had forgotten about Wooten's suggestion from his DVD. I'm pretty tight on electric but when I get on the EUB -- whoah! do I drift! This is a big help. Thanks!
--c.

[Rudreax]

Originally Posted by BigMacDaddy

I like this idea, and in fact have used it. I actually have a program that randomizes when you hear the click. Forces you to be real honest.

You wouldn't mentioning what this program is, would you?

[Rudreax]

BTW, I think your idea is a great one, Toronto.

[Toronto Bassist]

Thanks! I think also the real challenge with this is to try it at extreme tempos...like doing something at 40 bpm and also trying something at 220 bpm. That's where a lot of our weaknesses lie.

[HaVIC5]

Practicing tunes at 40 bpm is one of my favorite workouts, especially when you set it to just 2 or just 3 or something like that where it isn't the one. Also, just walking quarter notes to quarter note equals 40 bpm is really tough.

[Toronto Bassist]

Yeah, I remember jamming with a jazz band and they played Horace Silver's "Peace" really, really slow. On top of that, the drummer actually would drop out for a few bars here and there, so it was pretty nerve-wracking.

[HaVIC5]

People think being able to play at fast tempos is what makes you sound good. No, its being able to play at slow tempos. Once it starts to drop below 60 or so, the wheat's separated from the chaff.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by HaVIC5

People think being able to play at fast tempos is what makes you sound good. No, its being able to play at slow tempos. Once it starts to drop below 60 or so, the wheat's separated from the chaff.

I'm pure chaff, no doubt, but for me extreme tempo's are a non-problem. I mentally subdivide the beats of slow tempo's, combine them into groups of 2-4 beats for fast tempo's.
Even if you know you're pretty steady, don't try to dictate your tempo to the rest of the band. It will kill every groove or swing.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Chris K

I'm pure chaff, no doubt, but for me extreme tempo's are a non-problem. I mentally subdivide the beats of slow tempo's, combine them into groups of 2-4 beats for fast tempo's.
Even if you know you're pretty steady, don't try to dictate your tempo to the rest of the band. It will kill every groove or swing.

Well, mental subdivision is what you have to do, but the thing is, the slightest bit off you are in that subdivision will have an impact on the groove. The trick is to practice getting that 40 bpm click going smoothly and naturally where all of the notes in between line up perfectly. I've messed with some metronomes that go below 40 (like my reason metronome), and it gets kind of stupid, haha.

Another nice exercise is on the other end of the spectrum. Try walking a bassline to 2 and 4 on clicks 176+ (which would equal 350bpm). Its hard at first to do it for any length of time without getting 2+4 switched for 1+3.

[rokkitt]

I like it I'm going to try it.

Allen

[m0nst3r]

Whoa, I thought I had a good sense of timing, but boy was I wrong! Looks like I have some work to do.

[Toronto Bassist]

It can be a real shock for sure - thinking that you have the tempo down pretty good and then when the beats come back in, you're off.

One thing that can help is to just listen to a few bars of metronome clicks before you start and then in your head just think about the pulse clicking away, trying to visualize the correct tempo.

One thing that makes this very interesting is playing normally fast licks slow. I tried it with a riff from Sister Sadie at 120 bpm and the urge to speed up was constantly a factor.

[BigMacDaddy]

It is a program called metroplus. It is nice.