How to keep a drummer on beat

[deepBassie]

*If* your drummer can follow a beat (e.g. metronome), then find out who he/she is listening to during jam. Instead of "enforcing" the beat, some drummers tend to change their beat to match that of one of the band members. Your drummer may be switching between different players for rhythm guidance during the course of a song. If the drummer needs guidance, then make sure he follows you (bass) at all times regardless of the mayhem being created by the other players.

 

[jaywa]

Instead of "enforcing" the beat, some drummers tend to change their beat to match that of one of the band members. Your drummer may be switching between different players for rhythm guidance during the course of a song. If the drummer needs guidance, then make sure he follows you (bass) at all times regardless of the mayhem being created by the other players.

Yup... I've played with a couple guys like this. Their ears are actually *too* open in the sense that they approach their instrument as an accompanist and not as the foundation of the whole sound. The drummers who are most prone to this, IME, are ones who come from strongly "orchestral" backgrounds, or who also write music and/or play other chordal or melodic instruments like guitar or piano.

They are rhythmic "followers" instead of leaders and that can create a very frustrating situation for the groove-oriented bassist.

 

[jpTron]

Do you guys rehearse? If so, wait till they mess up the fill and then have everyone stop abruptly and look at each other confused. Then look at the drummer and be like "yeah man, I think YOU were off. Why don't we try that again with this shinny new toy called a metronome! A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks (beats, clicks) — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion (e.g. pendulum-swing). The metronome dates from the early 19th century, where it was patented by Johann Maelzel in 1815 as a tool for musicians, under the title "Instrument/Machine for the Improvement of all Musical Performance, called Metronome"[1].

In the 20th century and esp. today the metronome is generally positively regarded in Europe and Western culture. The metronome is used by some musicians for practice in maintaining a consistent tempo with steady regular beats and it can be used by composers, as an approximate way of specifying the tempo[2] .

Yet in stark contrasting with this postivistic view, research on the history of the metronome and its influence on performance practice, reveals criticisms of metronome use, and highlights differences of "performance practice" and cultural perception/values between the current modern European/Western society (which values the metronome), and the same society during previous times (beginning of the 19th century and earlier: classical/romantic/baroque eras etc.).[3][4]

Accordingly, some musicians consider the metronome to be a highly controversial tool in regard to music, with some rejecting the metronome altogether. Some composers considering metronome-tempo-marks to have only little value, or to hinder creative musical interpretation: Johannes Brahms said: "I am of the opinion that metronome marks go for nothing. As far as I know, all composers have, as I, retracted their metronome marks in later years."[5]"

Then turn it on and make them use it. Then they can see how they're off. If they still don't get it, then shoot them.