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improvising keeping time?

M

moor

Aug 20, 2008
5
0
#1
hi is there anyone out there?

I have a problem to keep time when I attempt to improvise,
how do you do it? no problem to feel the beat and play diffrent rhythms to it. but when it comes to know where beat one is, I get lost..

should I count everything I play or is there some other way to do it?

thanks from sweden :)
 
#2
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!

Same answer. The more you do it the easier it gets.

In the mean time though, try building up a library of "go to" licks in various keys and time signatures that you can use to fall back on in situations that call for improvisation.
 
#7
A good trick is to try and keep track of what note gets played on the 1 (for sure) and 3 (if you want), then try to either hit those roots or a harmony of those roots (like 5th, etc...) on the correct beat. If you hit the one every time, then you know you will need some kind of lead to it at the end of the bar, and it will lock in your improvisation better to the song. Start easy, with like quarter or eight note improvisations, then gradually add things like hammers, pulls, dotted notes, triplets, and slides as you get better at keeping track of your position in the song.

Next thing would be to make sure everyone is watching you for cues, and that you are giving cues, that way if an improv runs long or short, the band does not change until you tell them you are ready to change. This is one of the top things to do if you want your improvs to sound really pro. Watch Jack and Meg White play live sometime, VERY close communication.
 
#10
My second favorite part of the "I want to buy an iPhone4" cartoon is where he says " I'm going to cut off my own ****. Yes, I'll cut it off, I don't want to raise children in a world with ********s like you in it."
 
#14
When improvising, all the obvious musical ingredients (like melody, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, expression etc. etc.) will have to be dealt with on the spot.

Since tempo is your problem, start with rhythm, melody and tempo. The rest will come in due time.

You could try the following.
1. Improvising over rhythmic patterns, like funk patterns etc. Take a simple basic pattern and try to invent variations while playing.
2. Improvising over melodies. Take a simple melody (a children's song f.e.) and play variations. Put in some rhythmic diversity, some gaps, some surprise elements.
3. Try to combine rhythmic and melodic improvisation playing over a simple chords progression

USE A METRONOME AT ALL TIMES


Good luck!
 
#15
skwee said:
yeah, keep the beat going somewhere (tap them feet!)
Click to expand...

HUGE +1! I toe tap. Still and always will. I also find my whole body keeping time when I'm digging deep in an improv. I bounce or sway a little to accompany the toe tap in keeping time (Sometimes my toes are working the pedal board, so the sway helps keep the time).

Also +1 for keeping it simple at first. Fillers. Short, simple and fundamental building blocks. Learn to put fillers into your beat, and once you get that down, expand the fillers a bit longer, then longer, then longer.... now you got a solo, improve jam.

Just listened to a fellow TB'ers myspace link for the Low Down Naties. I really dig their vibe. He's posted somewhere above me, give them a listen.
 
#17
Hi there. I guessing that when you say improvising you mean soloing. There's some great exercises for this but it depends where you are as a player as to which exercises you tackle. First of all, get a metronome... they never go out of time and are a great reference when we practice/improvise along with them.

Many bass players find that when they start learning to improvise they have a problem with time and knowing where the one is. Remember, when every else is soloing there's a lovely bass line underneath them spelling out all the chords and making them sound great... hopefully! The gag is, when you come to solo the lovely bass line disappears and all you might get is some ambient type chords from the keyboard/piano or guitar! So bearing all this in mind bass players, especially in a jazz context where they are navigating chord changes etc have to have a really strong internal pulse.

A great way to practice this is to take a tune you already know, lets say autumn leaves, then get the metronome and set it to 50bpm. Your now going to improvise along with the metronome through the chord changes making sure the metronome is on beats 2 and 4. This is tricky to start with but really worth the practice time as it builds your internal pulse by putting you in a solo situation where you can't rely on anyone but yourself.

After you can do this raise the tempo up.

Practicing with programs such as band in the box is invaluable but sometimes gives bass players a misrepresentation of what soloing with an actual band is like. If you can solo with only you and the metronome you'll be well on your way!

Also, if the band are going crazy underneath your solo... a bit too crazy! Assuming these are guys you regularly play with don't be afraid to tell them to spell out the chords a little more etc. I was in a situation recently where i had to take a solo and the tune had multiple time signatures, most of which were changing every bar. In the rehearsals i was very quick to say to the drummer and piano player to spell out the time and chords in a more obvious way, as not only was i having to deal with bars of 13/8 and 5/4 there was also some really challenging harmony to navigate through.

Good luck!

Scott.
http://www.scottsbasslessons.com
 

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