Backbeat or Downbeat

[Groovin_Joe]

Hey everyone.

More and more recently I have been practicing with a metronome, I have been trying to do Open string, hammer, pluck in tripelets(victor wooten lesson) So on goes the metronome at 44bpm, and away i go. Well by about the 3rd or 4th combination I end up having the muted G-string pluck on the "click". For everything else; eighth notes, sixteenth notes I can keep the first one on the "click" but for tripolets I don't. What the hell is wrong. I have even slowed the metronome down more and i still do it.
I am getting really frustrated!!!!!!

I have read that in a Bass Player (april '99) i think there is an article that explains how to use the metronome for the backbeat instead of the downbeat. How do you suppose that would work? is that what i am doing? Is that meaning that the "click" goes on 2 and 4 or 1 and 3 instead of 1,2,3,and 4?

Well if anyone out there has said issue of BP, it would be greatly appreciated if you could send it to me or something in that idea. I would like to read it. In one BP i have a testimonial by someone that it has really helped, so I figured, "hey what the hell? can't hurt."

Thanks
Adam

 

[JimK]

Hey Joe-
Yes, backbeat would = 2 & 4

As far as not getting the triplets 'right' vs. getting 1/8th notes & 1/4 notes 'right'...maybe you're more comfortable with "even" subdivisions?
With an 1/8th note triplet, you're attempting to slice the beat into thirds. What I like, & this came outta an Ed Friedland column in Bass Player, is saying/thinking "Hig-a-dee" "Bog-a-dee" for triplets rather than "1&a" "2&a" or "trip-a-let", etc.
So, in your Open-Hammer-Pluck exercise"
"Hig" = Thumb on OPEN string
"a" = Hammer with fretting hand
"Dee" = Pluck on OPEN "G"-string

This should flow 'cause it's 3 notes/movements in a triplet("3") feel.
IMO, it's would be more difficult doing the OPEN-Hammer-Pluck in an 1/8th note feel(i.e. 3 notes/movements in a "4" feel. This approach takes the THUMB component off of the DOWNBEAT.
Example-
1 = Thumb
& = Hammer
2 = Pluck
& = Thumb
3 = Hammer
& = Pluck
4 = Thumb
& = Hammer

1 = Pluck
& = Thumb
...Etc

See how all the components shift?
Pretty cool, IMO.

 

[Inthepocket]

When you put your metronome on......just let it click by itself for about a minute! Whilst its clicking away sing, sing the triplet subdivisions ....

1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and , 4 and a, 1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and , 4 and a,

or

Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, Ti ke ta, <--lol that looks weird ...but thats how i do it ..i tuck my tongue up behind my teeth and turn into a "high hat" .....(i'd recomend the 1st way at 1st though)


Sing/say it for aslong as it takes until you can clearly get the feel of the triplet .............Dont even pick up your bass until you hear the triplet 100%....

Once you do this for a few minutes, you should be able to pick up your bass and nail it fairly easily! .........Singing rhythms is very important i reckon......tuck your tongue up behind your teeth and "tick" away

 

[Groovin_Joe]

When you put your metronome on......just let it click by itself for about a minute! Whilst its clicking away sing, sing the triplet subdivisions ....

Thanks Inthepocket, but i have been doing that. I kinda got it going. but i broke a string, all i did was set the metronome just a little bit faster like 55bpm instead of 50. No problem. I don't have a problem dividing into 3s.

if there are any more suggestions out there please. I don't think that i am the only one that has ever had this.


Adam