Building a groove

[Shribs]

Hello Mr. Wellington, glad to have you here on talkbass! It's truly an honor! So the issue I'm having is building a groove when the moment is right, or when a great beat is played. I find myself going into what I know as opposed to what I feel. Sometimes I have a hard time disconnecting my brain and letting myself free to do the playing. I would say I spend a good deal of time practicing everyday, but I just don't feel that I ever get anywhere as far as learning to groove better. I have read "effortless mastery" and I feel it helped quite a bit. Maybe I'm just to picky or whatever, but I just feel that when there is something spontaneous that happens I am usually going back to what is familiar. I know my modes very well and am advanced in my knowledge of music theory. Any advice?

 

[Ant Wellington]

Hey Shribs,

There are many components that go into making a bass line groove. The simplest things to consider is playing in time and tom outline the chord changes properly.

I hear many people say that they know the modes and theory and not really know them. To me,...you don't know them until you can apply them. But,...that's neither here nor there when it comes to groove. To me,...the groove implies how something 'feels'. Any C Major 7 chord is the same C major 7 chord in Reggae, Country, Rock, Funk, Polka, R&B, etc,...

What's make the genres different is the 'stuff' other than notes(theory).

One way to learn how to groove is to listen to music that grooves. It seems obvious but you'll be surprised by how many people don't listen to music that grooves. then you have to figure out why it grooves. I noticed that a lot of the times it has to do with the subdivisions that you play 'off of'. And things like articulation and dynamics play a big rule too. A good reference for groove is Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop DVD. he covers all of the essential elements of grooving.

Of course,...I can't diagnose your problem without hearing you play live. And no one is really qualified to really say what's wrong with their own playing so I can't even go on what you say,...unfortunately.

peace,
anthony

www.facebook.com/bassology

peace,
anthony

 

[RickeyC]

Not an expert by any means on this topic (I have the same problem), but I have found it good to take 'what I know' and simply change the rhythm.. gives it a whole differernt feel and maybe will give you some new ideas! Something to think about!

 

[pbasswil]

... I find myself going into what I know as opposed to what I feel. Sometimes I have a hard time disconnecting my brain and letting myself free to do the playing...

I love it when people talk about the act of making music on Talkbass! Non-gear topics are actually pretty rare.

And what a great question. The way you phrase it perfectly highlights the fact that when we have trouble getting into a groove, the problem isn't a lack of something, it's actually too much of something: thought; or prefab, learned ideas.

 

[ding_man]

You can't really just let go in my opinion. Eventually it may be second nature, but I think letting go is not a good term for what people mean by it.

Listen to music and steal everyone's licks. And thats how you get good .

 

[foundation]

Listen to music and steal everyone's licks. And thats how you get good .

HAHA...I'm with you ding_man....and every now and then a Mozart, Wellington or Wooten comes along and our species evolves!!

 

[BuffaloBass]

Hahaha, well it IS proven that we do evolve in big discreet steps.