I am an aspiring punk bassist. People on this forum have told me my picking technique is good, but my timing is off when playing covers. I can already play in time to a metronome, which some have suggested. I do tend to make the bass louder than the song to ensure I'm hitting the right notes, but that might be whats causing my problem. I tend to listen to more the bass than the other instruments when playing. Should i make the song louder than the bass so i am listening to all instruments? Or do you have any helpful suggestions?
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how to improve timing while jamming to songs
- Thread starter Cole Allar
- Start date
IMO you have to pick one instrument and let that instrument give you the BPM, i.e. the tempo. I listen for the drums, and the kick drum to be specific. No drums I let the lead vocalists give me the BPM and then I listen to the rhythm guitar for the strum beat. Once established then it is up to me to maintain that beat.
Listen to the kick drum's beat and drum pattern, i.e. if he goes boom, boom, de boom so do you. That will be the groove pattern you will use throughout the song. Yep the metronome is step one, drum tracks are step two. Listening to the entire band is step three.
Listen to the kick drum's beat and drum pattern, i.e. if he goes boom, boom, de boom so do you. That will be the groove pattern you will use throughout the song. Yep the metronome is step one, drum tracks are step two. Listening to the entire band is step three.
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Get your ass or foot moving while listening. Once the time is in your body you should be good. If your ass or foot isn't dancing, you got no pocket to speak of, and you can't hold no groove if you ain't got no pocket
If you're playing along with a song to learn/copy the bass line, I'd boost the bass (and usually bump it up an octave to make it easier to pick out). In your situation, if you are providing the bass and just want to lock in with the tempo, I'd reduce - or even eliminate altogether - the bass and focus on the drums, boosting them if necessary.
You mention you're already good with a metronome, but how are you using it? Playing to all 4 clicks in 4/4 time? You need to internalize the beat, so try playing along to only 2 of the 4 clicks - either on beats 1&3 or 2&4. When you get good at that, drop it down to 1 click and make sure you are always coming back around to hit that click on time. It could be beat 1, 4, or whatever.
Click here for Victor Wooten's take on the subject.
You mention you're already good with a metronome, but how are you using it? Playing to all 4 clicks in 4/4 time? You need to internalize the beat, so try playing along to only 2 of the 4 clicks - either on beats 1&3 or 2&4. When you get good at that, drop it down to 1 click and make sure you are always coming back around to hit that click on time. It could be beat 1, 4, or whatever.
Click here for Victor Wooten's take on the subject.
There are some helpful hints and exercises in this thread :
comprehensive rhythm and time exercises and tips thread
Other advice would be to listen closely... without the bass in your hands... to the song about four or five times, before you attempt to play along.
comprehensive rhythm and time exercises and tips thread
Other advice would be to listen closely... without the bass in your hands... to the song about four or five times, before you attempt to play along.
Giving this some more thought.......... If you play from fake chord, as I do, the time signature and probably the BPM are not given. It's up to us to come up with this. Best way to do that is to just listen..... bass on it's stand, sheet music out on the music stand for us to follow along with and then.....
Listen for the kick drum beat. That kick drum beat is the groove we need to lock with. Most of the time it'll be in 4/4 or 3/4 which is a no brainer, however the uneven time signatures like 5/8 can be played many ways. Which way is the drummer going to divide the 5? You have to listen and then do likewise.
Listen for the kick drum beat. That kick drum beat is the groove we need to lock with. Most of the time it'll be in 4/4 or 3/4 which is a no brainer, however the uneven time signatures like 5/8 can be played many ways. Which way is the drummer going to divide the 5? You have to listen and then do likewise.
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I just went to your previous thread and watched one of the videos, and I agree with others who say that your timing needs work: You're not locked into the groove with the recording. I also think that you've diagnosed part of the problem correctly here: The volume on the recording is too low, so once you start playing you can't hear the rest of the band well enough to lock in with them. I would turn up the recording so that your volume matches the volume of the bass on the recording. Don't worry, you'll still know if you play a wrong note, because it will sound wrong in relation to the rest of the band. More important, you'll be much better able to tell if your timing is off, because when you are perfectly locked in it will sound like there is only one bass player. If you're hearing two basses instead of one, you're off.
Others have suggested practicing the song at a slower tempo, and that's definitely a good idea, but here's another trick to also try: Play along with the recording, at its usual tempo, but don't try to play all the notes all the way through the song. First, try playing through the whole song playing only every other note : i.e., play only the downbeats, using only downstrokes. That is, instead of trying to play "da da da da da da da da...," just play "da (rest) da (rest) da (rest) da. That will help you lock into the groove without worrying about trying to squeeze all the notes in.
Once you can do that and stay in the groove through the whole song, try alternating every bar or two between playing all of the notes (alternating picking), and playing just the downbeats (downstrokes only). For example, play a bar or two with all the notes, and then play the next bar or two using only the downbeats (downstrokes only). Then, over time, gradually increase the length of the bursts of playing all the notes, while decreasing the length of the "breathers" in between: For example, play three bars with all the notes (alternate picking), followed by one bar with only half the notes (downstrokes/downbeats only), and so forth.
A lot if t he time when someone has a problem with tempo, they either speed up or slow down, but not both. You've got to get the beat INTO you. Tap your foot, even half time if it's fast, double if it's slow. If it's not IN you but in your head only, it's harder. Once the body is involved (butt, foot, hips), its harder to lose.
I've taught music for 40 years and I can tell you without any hesitation that many, many timing problems are caused by not knowing the instrument as well as you should. Consider this, if you have to think about where to put your finger for .001 of a second before you play the note, it won't be too long before that time adds up and you're behind the beat, or just out of sync. Here's another point. Take Barry Tuckwell, arguably one of the best french horn players in the world. Give him your bass and ask him to lay down a groove and more than likely he'll have hassle with it. Not that he's not a great musician, he just doesn't know the bass as well as needed to hang with Tower of Power (or whatever).
Get your act together on scales, arpeggios, know where ALL the notes are. Get your hands moving efficiently with no extra movement and you'll see that time and groove improve.
Get your act together on scales, arpeggios, know where ALL the notes are. Get your hands moving efficiently with no extra movement and you'll see that time and groove improve.
My timing hint: subdivide the beat always. Too many people think about the 1-2-3-4 when there's a whole world of subdivision in between those beats. For moderate and tempos, I'm always thinking in 16th notes. For much faster tempos like you might find in metal and punk, I think in 8th notes.
Also, when practicing, take your tempos down to painfully slow levels, and work on feeling the beat at every moment and hitting it square. Listen very closely to your playing for when you're not hitting with the beat. Gradually increase the tempos as you get solid with the slower tempo.
Also, when practicing, take your tempos down to painfully slow levels, and work on feeling the beat at every moment and hitting it square. Listen very closely to your playing for when you're not hitting with the beat. Gradually increase the tempos as you get solid with the slower tempo.
Fat Steve
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
Just keep playing it over and over. It's the only way to internalize the timing. Pay attention to the overall tempo which isn't just determined by the drummer. It's the group collectively.
No problem your welcome!
Wow, that is excellent advice! Never thought of that, even though it seems obvious. Going to start doing that tonight when practicing.
