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I have no sense of rhythm, help?

J

jakej

Apr 27, 2008
23
0
Bay city, Mi
#1
Learning to play a bass is starting to get under my skin. My goal is to just learn one song 100% correctly and quickly. From that, I'll move on and continue to work on my technique and such. Really I just want a motivational booster, and I think that knowing I can be able to play along with my friends in at least one song would do that.

Getting that out of the way, I think part of my problem is that I seem to have no sense of rhythm. When listening to music, I can never hear the bass when others can, and I just can't keep the ryhthm going when I play. How can I hear the rhythm?!

Right now my friends are covering the song "Face Down" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Not exactly my favorite song, but eh, what can you do. I went and found tabs for the song and it really is pretty straightforward, yet I always seem to get lost while playing and end up a whole line or so of tab away from where I should be.

Is there a better way to go about doing this, or is tab the simplest of the simple?
 
#2
Playing in time is MUCH more important even than playing the "right" notes. 99% of the people in an audience won't notice/care if you play a bassline that isn't the original, but 99% will notice if your timing is completely out.

So what to do about it? Practice with a metronome or a drum machine from this point forward. It might be easier to get started with a drum machine but a metronome is better in the long run. Don't give up until you become friends with the beat; you know you are when you can sort of play in symbiosis with it. That symbiosis is also often referred to as groove.
 
#3
perhaps find a song with a real heavy bass beat where the bass really stands out of the mix. for example "Yes" tunes. get the tabs and away you go, play along. can also "sing along" if you are familiar with the song and the lyrics. another method is to count in your head or even better, tap your feet to the "count". that said, 1) metronome, 2) drum machine.
all the best from a newbie sharing your frustration....lol
cheers
Gerry
 
#5
The only answer to hearing bass lines better is ear training. Excluding formal ear training (in school we sang a heck of a lot of melodies, 4 part harmony voicings, chord progressions, etc... we also used various ear training computer programs like auralia and practica musica), just humming the basslines as people have suggested can help. It's nice with an ear training book or software so you have a printed reference and can tell what the right note is when you can't figure it out yourself.
 
#6
There are many ways to improve your rhythm. Play along with the song you are learning for one. Practice simple repetetive basslines with a drum machine, metronome, or anything that can hold a beat. Also be aware of the beat itself. 4/4 is the most common and maybe easiest to follow. Be aware of the beats between the beats like 1- AND- two- AND- three- AND four. Notice the rests and breaks in the groove. Many times the space is what makes the groove groovy. Be aware of when the bassline starts in comparison to the beat. Many lines start on the first beat, but others start on the one and a half or the two. Many others start before the 1. Most importantly LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN before you jump in and play.
Also if you can record yourself practicing do it often. It is hard to concentrate on playing and also evaluating your play at the same time. Listening to your practice piece will show you where you went wrong, but also where you went right. Good luck!
 
#7
Bass is a rhythm instrument, Timing is our #1 responsibility.

Absolutely get a Metronome and practice with it. Alot. dont forget slow tempos.

Listen and count along to every song you hear. Practice your awareness of the downbeat.Just ask yourself, "Where's the ONE?" and figure it out. Then count the rest of the beats.

Also, I encourage you to study music Notation . Try sticking to the rhythm first, not worrying about pitch. It can be frustrating at first, but once you developer an understanding of half /quarternotes/ sixteenths (and the dots and rests,) your rhythmic awareness will become very precise.
 
#8
In a theory book I was reading said that along with perfect pitch there is also 'perfect rhythm'.
You just have to work at it. If you can't hear it you can't play it! You can listen to the drummer for a lot of clues on rhythm. If you sync up with the drummer you know your rhythm is good. It's all math so you can subdivide all you want. Just play the downbeat loud and on time and that's a great place to start.
 
#9
'Slap It' by Tony Oppenheim

My groove is lacking to but i'm shedding this book and it's helping.

Some cats pick up a bass and 'it's just there' they are so rhythmic (funky) and sound full playing by themselves.

This book is helping me though. The first 16 lessons are superb and the author focus's on & around a lot of Octave playing, for a few reasons, 1, to ensure that you are holding and cultivating a pocket.

From there he builds with throwing in little syncopations to embellish simple octave lives, but not too much, where it makes you want to close the book. (in a discouraged way)

If you gave the preceeding 16 lessons your undivided attention, it starts to come together, when he shows you how he utilizing these techniques and starting to synocpate (or subdivide) these 16th's.

I had Ed Friedlands Slap program and it confused the crap out've me. Tony's is very simplistic and easy to follow through on.
 
#10
A really good first song to learn for bass I find is 'Radar Love' It's pretty simple, and easy to play along with, considering most of the bassline is not accompanied by guitar. Most tablature for the song is accurate (I personally recommend looking at UltimateGuitar.com), and it's got a fairly easy beat to get into. Just listen to the song a couple times, play by yourself, then try to play along. As for developing an ear, listen to A LOT of bass-heavy music (Rush, Primus, etc.) and try and just pick out the bass lines. Gradually try and do this with more difficult music. Some songs just have the bass following the guitar pretty much note for note, so sometimes if you don't hear the bass it might just be masked. GL
 
#11
Mr_Krinkle said:
A really good first song to learn for bass I find is 'Radar Love' It's pretty simple, and easy to play along with, considering most of the bassline is not accompanied by guitar. Most tablature for the song is accurate (I personally recommend looking at UltimateGuitar.com), and it's got a fairly easy beat to get into. Just listen to the song a couple times, play by yourself, then try to play along. As for developing an ear, listen to A LOT of bass-heavy music (Rush, Primus, etc.) and try and just pick out the bass lines. Gradually try and do this with more difficult music. Some songs just have the bass following the guitar pretty much note for note, so sometimes if you don't hear the bass it might just be masked. GL
Click to expand...

Another good on is "Smells like teen spirit"- Nirvana - Fun song to play and a good rythmn builder
 
#12
Learn to listen for the kick drom and the snare drum in the song and determine their relationship to the bass line.

Practice playing grooves with a drum machine. Get one that has presets and lets you compose your own progressions. This will improve your timing quickly and your sense of rythem.

Training your ear is subjective to your learning style. I Agree with the guy who said to sing melodys with a group or even with a recording.

I would also suggest that you learn to recognize major scale progressions and minor scale progessions by ear. When your music educations starts getting into the modal scales you will learn to hear them in the music that you listen too, after you have practiced them to death. It all takes time and practice,
 
#13
Learn a few simple reggae basslines. Since i've been playing reggae bass i feel my rhythm has significantly improved. Before i used to play kinda stoner busy Hendrix/P-Funk riffs where of course rhythm is massively important but since stripping my bass back to simpler reggae grooves, and repetetive grooves, my concentration on rhythm has massively improved. Perhaps try something like Bob Marleys 'Stir it up' or similair. They're pretty easily accessible bass lines to learn, the notes are easy, but nailing the goove with feel takes time and practice, that practice will hopefully improve you rhythm and groove....i feel it has for me....Jah works:bassist:
Worth a try!;)
 

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