New Drummer won't stop staring at my fingers.

I'm with you. I'm locking with the drummer, not the other way around. Maybe he needs/could use a click track. ??? A rather famous drummer uses a click track and says it frees him to just play and not worry about being the time keeper.

- John

 

He might be relying too much on you but I wholeheartedly agree with him. Thing is you’ve got to be good. I love having command over the jam and that moment you know your captaining the ship.

 

So...you're complaining about a drummer that actually cares abut what you're doing?
There's no hope...

Seriously, though, I'm guessing he's just nervous and wants to make sure he's tight with you, which is an excellent basis for a rhythm unit.
I'm sure he'll loosen up once he's got more confident in playing with you.

 

I've had guitar students and jam people do this. If you're watchin for the change, you're already late.

 

Or is he just envious of your 'finger technique?'

 

He's new and he doesn't know the material yet so he's watching you for the changes.

 

I had a drummer like that. Creeped my friends out "dude, he is looking at you a LOT". Really Stewart Copeland-ey, which I'd never thought to look for before. Very rarely did fills, and the fills were always taysty. I was the captain of any ship he was on. Probably wouldn't have been that great for wedding/corp, but great fun for jams/experimental/writing. I miss him. Work on your own metronome and enjoy.

 

Maybe he's not really looking at your fingers?

On the other hand, to notice that he is looking at you a lot, you have to be looking at him a lot too.

Anyway... good luck getting it sorted out.

 

Great scenario, you can always ask him to stay on a beat for parts when you want to play counter- rhythm. Lucky you!!!!

 

You're wrong.

A) He's new and may not be fully confident in knowing all the songs.
2) Literally anyone in the band can be the rhythmic leader. Bass, drums, rhythm guitar, etc. Ideally it should be a wordless negotiation between bass and drums to find what's right and lock in together, as opposed to one person being the dictator. It can also change from song to song. In my current jazz trio there are drum-led songs, bass-led songs and guitar led songs.
C) Are you rehearsing in the same configuration you would gig in? The one danger of the drummer watching the bass player's fingers is if your back is to him on stage and he's lost.

 

It's just occurred to me, what you need to do here is get @catcauphonic to give you some nail-polish tips...that'll dazzle the guy for sure!

 

Every person in the band is responsible for knowing and keeping their own place within the beat. Depending on the instrument and style that may be ahead, on or after. That's where the swing comes from.

 

hes found a crutch and will have a hard time if you ever play out live.

 

i'd get used to it. use it!

yes!

 

Sounds like he is a jazz drummer. In jazz, the bass is king. It set the tempo and leads the changes. He is actually doing a great job. He is watching you so he can stay with you.

Well, either that or he has a finger fetish

 

He likes your fingers...."With Fava Beans and A Nice Chianti"

 

The drummer is not wrong; in general, bass should provide the pulse and drums provide the feel. Everyone is responsible for their own time, and bass/drums should lock in, but it's really the bass that sets the time and the pulse of the music, and everything else should work within that context.

Ideally.